Imani

Imani - A very unique male name

Imani appeared on the charts for the first time in 1977 on position #2099. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Imani and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Imani? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Imani. The baby boy name Imani was given to 6 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3605 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 244,381 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Imani peaked in popularity 33 years ago in 1993 on position 1684.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Imani, 1-5?

Imani is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Imani is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #2,391 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,391.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Imani is where you live.

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Imani origin and meaning

Swahili

From Swahili imani, 'faith' — one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa

Imani is a genuine Swahili word name, far more common for girls in the US; this is the rarer boys' use, in the data since 1977 and peaking in 1993. Singer Faith Evans's daughter and other female bearers belong to the girls' profile, not this one.

Attested etymology

Imani is a 5 letter name with 3 syllables.

To see famous people named Imani, pop culture references for the name Imani and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Imani

We've found the following names that sound similar to Imani, sorted by popularity.

Ian / Iain / Iman / Iam / Iann / Ioane / Inman / Ihan / Iaan / Iyan /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Imani

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Imani a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Imani?

3 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ih-MAH-nee · /ɪˈmɑni/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.

Style

InternationalVirtueWord name

Why parents choose it

Imani means faith — a meaningful choice that reads mostly feminine in the US, which boy parents should know.

Worth knowing

• Strongly associated with girls in American use; a boy Imani will often be assumed female on paper.