Jamiel
Arabic masculine name meaning "cameleer" or "one who works with camels".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Jamiel. It is a predominantly male name (97.8% of registrations). The average person named Jamiel today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jamiel births was 1981 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jamiel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
1981
35 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,574
Tracked since 1969
Gender
Gender distribution for Jamiel
Jamiel leans heavily male at 97.8% of total registrations, but 19 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jamiel as a male name
- Ranked #10,287 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1981 (27 births)
Jamiel as a female name
- Ranked #9,574 in 1984
- 6 female births in 1984
- Peak: 1981 (8 births)
Popularity
Jamiel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jamiel from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 205 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jamiel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jamiel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jamiels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Jamiel, while Ohio, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jamiel
The name Jamiel is of Arabic origin, derived from the root word "jamil," which means "beautiful" or "handsome." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries.
In Arabic culture, the name Jamiel carries a positive connotation and is often associated with physical attractiveness, grace, and charm. It is a popular name among Muslims and has been used across various regions of the Arab world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jamiel can be found in the works of renowned Arab poets and writers from the medieval period. While the name itself may not have appeared in religious scriptures, it reflects the Arabic language's emphasis on beauty and aesthetic appreciation.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jamiel. One of the earliest recorded figures was Jamiel al-Zahawi (1863-1936), an Iraqi poet and writer who played a significant role in the Arabic literary renaissance during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another prominent figure was Jamiel Shehade (1925-1992), a Palestinian lawyer and activist who advocated for Palestinian rights and was a member of the Palestinian National Council.
In the realm of sports, Jamiel Shayed (born 1975) is a former professional football (soccer) player from Saudi Arabia who represented his national team in several international tournaments.
Jamiel Terrell (born 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA and various international leagues.
Jamiel Khayyat (born 1982) is a Jordanian-American composer and musician known for his work in film and television scores.
While the name Jamiel has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has gained popularity across various regions and communities, transcending its linguistic and cultural boundaries.
People
Jamiel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jamiel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jamiel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jamiel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jamiel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 403,240 US residents.
Is Jamiel a common name?
We classify Jamiel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 877 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jamiel most popular?
The single biggest year for Jamiel was 1981, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jamiel is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jamiel a male name?
Yes, 97.8% of people registered as Jamiel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.