Imala
A feminine Arabic name meaning "to lean or incline".
Name Census estimates that about 28 living Americans carry the first name Imala. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Imala today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Imala births was 2001 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Imala. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Imala. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
28
~ 1 in 12,241,226 Americans
Peak year
2001
6 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2022 SSA rank
#16,241
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Imala: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Imala from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Imala 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 Imala during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Imala
The name Imala is believed to have originated in the Arabic language, derived from the root word "aml," which means "hope" or "aspiration." This name has been in use within Arabic-speaking cultures for centuries, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 7th century CE.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Imala was a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist, Imala ibn Abi Muthanna al-Ghuddani, who lived in the 8th century CE. He was recognized for his contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and his teachings on the interpretation of the Quran and the Sunnah.
In the 10th century, Imala al-Khuzai was a prominent poet and literary figure from Khuzestan, modern-day Iran. Her poetry celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience, and she was highly regarded for her mastery of the Arabic language and poetic form.
During the 12th century, Imala bint al-Hajj al-Kurdi was a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual leader in Damascus, Syria. Her teachings on the path to spiritual enlightenment and her dedication to helping the poor and underprivileged earned her widespread respect and admiration.
In the 14th century, Imala al-Dimashqi was a celebrated calligrapher and artist from Damascus, known for her exquisite calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts. Her artworks adorned the walls of mosques and palaces throughout the region and are considered masterpieces of Islamic art.
More recently, in the 20th century, Imala Jalal was a prominent Egyptian author and feminist activist. Born in 1919, she dedicated her life to advocating for women's rights and empowerment through her writings and activism. Her novels and essays shed light on the struggles and aspirations of Egyptian women, making her a significant figure in the country's literary and feminist movements.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the name Imala throughout history. While its roots can be traced back to the Arabic language, this name has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be cherished for its beautiful meaning and rich heritage.
People
Imala + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Imala as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Imala: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Imala?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Imala 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 12,241,226 US residents.
Is Imala a common name?
We classify Imala as "Very Rare". It ranks above 45.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Imala most popular?
The single biggest year for Imala was 2001, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Imala is about 17 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 Imala in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Imala a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Imala 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 Imala still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Imala 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 Imala 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 have the name Imala?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.