Janilah
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "paradise" or "the highest degree of Heaven".
Name Census estimates that about 206 living Americans carry the first name Janilah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janilah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janilah births was 2019 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janilah. 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
206
~ 1 in 1,663,856 Americans
Peak year
2019
20 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,178
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Janilah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janilah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 131 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janilah 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 Janilah 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 Janilah
The name Janilah originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern and North African regions. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval Islamic era, around the 7th to 13th centuries.
The name Janilah is derived from the Arabic word "jannat," which means "paradise" or "heaven." It is a feminine name that conveys a sense of beauty, serenity, and divine grace. The addition of the suffix "-ah" is a common practice in Arabic names, often used to create a more melodic and feminine sound.
While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in ancient texts or religious scriptures, some scholars suggest that it may have been inspired by the concept of paradise and the celestial gardens described in the Quran.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Janilah was Janilah bint Yahya al-Andalusiyah, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in Cordoba, Spain, during the 10th century. Her contributions to Arabic literature and poetry were highly regarded during her time.
Another notable figure was Janilah al-Muqri, a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher who lived in Marrakesh, Morocco, in the 12th century. She was renowned for her expertise in Quranic studies and her dedication to educating both men and women.
In the 13th century, Janilah bint al-Qadi al-Zahiri was a notable jurist and legal scholar in Damascus, Syria. Her contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and her advocacy for women's education were highly influential during that era.
Moving forward to the 16th century, Janilah al-Baghdadi was a celebrated calligrapher and artist from Baghdad, Iraq. Her intricate calligraphic works and illuminated manuscripts were highly sought after and admired by patrons and scholars alike.
In the 19th century, Janilah al-Mahdi was a Sudanese princess and influential figure in the Mahdist revolutionary movement. She played a crucial role in supporting and advocating for the cause of the Mahdi, a religious leader who sought to revive the Islamic faith in Sudan.
While these are just a few examples, the name Janilah has been carried by numerous individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields, from literature and scholarship to art and politics. Its meaning and connection to the idea of paradise have undoubtedly contributed to its enduring appeal and significance within the Arabic and Islamic cultural contexts.
People
Janilah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janilah 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
Janilah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janilah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 206 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janilah 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 1,663,856 US residents.
Is Janilah a common name?
We classify Janilah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 208 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janilah most popular?
The single biggest year for Janilah was 2019, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janilah is about 12 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 Janilah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Janilah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janilah 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 Janilah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Janilah 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 Janilah 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 Janilah?
See how many people share the name Janilah on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.