Xolani
A Xhosa name meaning "to have peace" or "be at peace".
Name Census estimates that about 891 living Americans carry the first name Xolani. It is a predominantly female name (92.5% of registrations). The average person named Xolani today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xolani births was 2024 (217 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xolani. 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
891
~ 1 in 384,685 Americans
Peak year
2024
217 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,152
Tracked since 2004
Gender
Gender distribution for Xolani
Xolani leans heavily female at 92.5% of total registrations, but 67 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Xolani as a male name
- Ranked #9,809 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (14 births)
Xolani as a female name
- Ranked #1,152 in 2024
- 209 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (209 births)
Popularity
Xolani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xolani from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 722 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Xolani 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 Xolani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Xolanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 17 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Xolani, while Tennessee, New Jersey, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Xolani
The name Xolani has its origins in the Xhosa language, an indigenous Bantu language spoken by the Xhosa people in South Africa. The Xhosa are one of the major ethnic groups in the country, with a rich cultural heritage that dates back centuries.
The meaning of the name Xolani is often translated as "to be at peace" or "to be calm." It is derived from the Xhosa word "uxolo," which means peace or calmness. This name is believed to have been given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be peaceful and serene individuals.
While the exact origins of the name are difficult to pinpoint, it is likely that Xolani has been used among the Xhosa people for generations. However, there are no known historical records or ancient texts that specifically mention this name.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Xolani dates back to the late 19th century. Xolani Dingana (1871-1935) was a prominent Xhosa chief and leader who played a significant role in the resistance against colonial rule in South Africa.
Another notable figure with the name Xolani is Xolani Kunene (born 1965), a South African actor and playwright who has appeared in numerous television shows and films. He is known for his work in promoting Xhosa language and culture.
Xolani Masebeni (1935-1962) was a South African activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC) who was executed by the apartheid government for his involvement in the struggle against racial segregation.
Xolani Gwala (1975-2018) was a South African radio personality and TV presenter who was known for his work on popular shows such as "Isidingo" and "Rhythm City."
Xolani Nkosi (born 1986) is a South African rugby union player who has represented his country in international competitions, including the Rugby World Cup.
While the name Xolani has gained popularity beyond the Xhosa community in recent decades, its roots remain deeply connected to the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Xhosa people in South Africa.
People
Xolani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xolani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xolani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xolani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 891 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xolani 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 384,685 US residents.
Is Xolani a common name?
We classify Xolani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 896 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xolani most popular?
The single biggest year for Xolani was 2024, when 217 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xolani is about 5 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Xolani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xolani a female name?
Yes, 92.5% of people registered as Xolani in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Xolani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xolani in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Xolani can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Xolani?
Want to know how many people have the name Xolani? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.