Jelani is usually described as a Swahili name meaning "mighty" or "great", though it most likely goes back through Arabic to the surname of the Sufi saint Abdul Qadir al-Jilani. It became part of the African-inspired name pool in the United States in the 1970s and is still mainly used by African American families. Jelani ranked number 1021 in 2000, its best year, hovered around number 1400 in 2022 and 2023, and stands at number 2156 in 2025.