Zaylani
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "belonging to gardens".
Name Census estimates that about 204 living Americans carry the first name Zaylani. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Zaylani today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Zaylani births was 2024 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Zaylani. 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
204
~ 1 in 1,680,168 Americans
Peak year
2024
51 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,162
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Zaylani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Zaylani from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 152 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
Zaylani 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 Zaylani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Zaylanis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Zaylani, while Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Zaylani
The name Zaylani has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is a variant of the Arabic name Zayn al-Din, which means "adornment of the faith" or "beauty of the religion." This name has been in use among Arabic-speaking communities for centuries, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Zaylani can be found in historical texts from the 12th century. During this period, a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist named Zaylani al-Nabulsi lived in Damascus, Syria. He is known for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and his works on the interpretation of religious texts.
In the 13th century, there was a famous Sufi mystic and poet named Zaylani al-Misri, who hailed from Egypt. His writings and poems explored themes of spirituality and the mystical aspects of Islam, influencing the development of Sufism in the region.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, we find Zaylani Al-Aydarus, a Yemeni scholar and reformist who advocated for educational and social reforms in his homeland. He played a significant role in modernizing the educational system in Yemen and promoting the study of modern sciences alongside traditional Islamic teachings.
In the 20th century, one notable figure with the name Zaylani was Zaylani Khudadad, an Indian Muslim politician and lawyer who served as the President of the All-India Muslim League from 1936 to 1937. He was an influential figure in the Indian independence movement and the struggle for Muslim rights in the region.
Another prominent individual with this name was Zaylani Moyo, a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Tanzania from 2005 to 2008. He played a crucial role in shaping Tanzania's foreign policy and promoting regional cooperation in East Africa.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Zaylani throughout history, highlighting its rich cultural and historical significance within the Arabic-speaking world and beyond.
People
Zaylani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Zaylani as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Z
Other first names starting with Z with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Zaylani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Zaylani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 204 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Zaylani 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 1,680,168 US residents.
Is Zaylani a common name?
We classify Zaylani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 205 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Zaylani most popular?
The single biggest year for Zaylani was 2024, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Zaylani 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 Zaylani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Zaylani a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Zaylani 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 Zaylani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Zaylani 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 Zaylani 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 common is the name Zaylani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.