Fun Facts About the Name Amani
- More than 16 thousand babies named Amani: U.S. records list 16,323 babies given the name Amani from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 2,886 boys received the name Amani - about 1 boy for every 5 girls.
What Does the Name Amani Mean?
Amani is an Arabic feminine name meaning "wishes" or "aspirations." It is the plural of umniyah (أمنية), "a wish" or "a longing," so the name suggests a set of hopes and desires rather than a single one.
A second derivation reaches the name through Swahili, where amani is the ordinary word for "peace" and "safety." That Swahili noun was borrowed from Arabic amān (أمان), "security" or "protection" - a different word from amānī. In East Africa the name is understood as "peace," while in Arabic-speaking countries the same spelling is read as "wishes." The two meanings are independent, even though both words ultimately come from Arabic.
Amani Name History & Origins
The Arabic word amānī belongs to the root ʼ-m-n, which concerns safety, trust, and belief; the same root produces amān (safety), īmān (faith), and amīn (trustworthy). As the plural of umniyah, the word appears in classical Arabic and in the Qur'an, where it is used for hopes that are treated as wishful claims - for instance, the phrase tilka amāniyyuhum, "those are their wishful claims." The word has long served as a girl's given name in Arabic-speaking countries.
In East Africa, amani came into Swahili from Arabic and became the standard word for peace, used in everyday speech and in public life in Kenya, Tanzania, and nearby countries. Parents there give Amani to both boys and girls, with the sense "peace" rather than "wishes." The same spelling is used in the Swahili-speaking eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it has appeared in the names of peace efforts. In English-speaking countries, Amani is written with occasional variants such as Amaani and Amanee and is given to both boys and girls.
How Popular is the Name Amani?
Amani recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2008. Its best rank was #553 in 2010.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #678 | 419 | 0.0261% |
| 2024 | #634 | 464 | 0.0288% |
| 2023 | #621 | 481 | 0.0300% |
| 2022 | #583 | 513 | 0.0313% |
| 2021 | #685 | 424 | 0.0259% |
| 2020 | #660 | 436 | 0.0270% |
| 2019 | #708 | 403 | 0.0240% |
| 2018 | #741 | 374 | 0.0220% |
| 2017 | #763 | 363 | 0.0210% |
| 2016 | #710 | 401 | 0.0226% |
| 2015 | #729 | 389 | 0.0218% |
| 2014 | #646 | 441 | 0.0247% |
| 2013 | #589 | 482 | 0.0275% |
| 2012 | #574 | 512 | 0.0291% |
| 2011 | #562 | 520 | 0.0296% |
| 2010 | #553 | 528 | 0.0297% |
| 2009 | #580 | 524 | 0.0285% |
| 2008 | #586 | 529 | 0.0280% |
| 2007 | #649 | 456 | 0.0237% |
| 2006 | #686 | 411 | 0.0216% |
| 2005 | #644 | 431 | 0.0233% |
| 2004 | #597 | 468 | 0.0255% |
| 2003 | #709 | 368 | 0.0201% |
| 2002 | #675 | 372 | 0.0207% |
| 2001 | #719 | 339 | 0.0188% |
| 2000 | #747 | 308 | 0.0170% |
| 1999 | #791 | 277 | 0.0156% |
| 1998 | #733 | 298 | 0.0169% |
| 1997 | #820 | 252 | 0.0145% |
| 1996 | #827 | 242 | 0.0138% |
| 1995 | #1,002 | 187 | 0.0106% |
| 1994 | #1,129 | 159 | 0.0089% |
| 1993 | #1,359 | 121 | 0.0067% |
| 1992 | #1,713 | 87 | 0.0047% |
| 1991 | #2,014 | 68 | 0.0036% |
| 1990 | #2,346 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 1989 | #2,339 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1988 | #2,541 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1987 | #3,629 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1986 | #5,195 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #4,131 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #7,421 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #3,246 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1982 | #4,723 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #4,534 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1980 | #5,252 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1979 | #4,631 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #5,226 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #9,694 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #7,318 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #7,195 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #4,231 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #4,879 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #4,532 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1971 | #4,538 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1970 | #5,071 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #6,643 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,585 | 107 | 0.0063% |
| 2024 | #1,272 | 154 | 0.0090% |
| 2023 | #1,488 | 120 | 0.0070% |
| 2022 | #1,770 | 93 | 0.0053% |
| 2021 | #2,060 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 2020 | #1,869 | 79 | 0.0046% |
| 2019 | #2,002 | 73 | 0.0041% |
| 2018 | #2,101 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2017 | #1,920 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 2016 | #1,993 | 72 | 0.0038% |
| 2015 | #1,849 | 80 | 0.0042% |
| 2014 | #1,920 | 75 | 0.0039% |
| 2013 | #1,827 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2012 | #1,429 | 116 | 0.0061% |
| 2011 | #1,476 | 110 | 0.0058% |
| 2010 | #1,447 | 114 | 0.0059% |
| 2009 | #1,452 | 115 | 0.0058% |
| 2008 | #1,264 | 138 | 0.0068% |
| 2007 | #1,526 | 103 | 0.0050% |
| 2006 | #1,306 | 126 | 0.0061% |
| 2005 | #1,584 | 87 | 0.0044% |
| 2004 | #1,309 | 113 | 0.0057% |
| 2003 | #1,656 | 75 | 0.0038% |
| 2002 | #1,660 | 71 | 0.0037% |
| 2001 | #1,400 | 89 | 0.0046% |
| 2000 | #1,642 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 1999 | #1,721 | 60 | 0.0031% |
| 1998 | #1,680 | 61 | 0.0032% |
| 1997 | #1,860 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1996 | #1,706 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1995 | #1,916 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1994 | #2,445 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1993 | #4,023 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #3,462 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1991 | #4,489 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #5,847 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #5,643 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,994 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #5,089 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #4,328 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #3,331 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #3,351 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #3,671 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #3,859 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Amani
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with A
Short Girl Names That Start with A
How the Name Amani Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Amani's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Amani's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.