Fun Facts About the Name Jamela
- 945 babies named Jamela: U.S. records list 945 babies given the name Jamela from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jamela Mean?
Jamela is a feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "beautiful." It is most often treated as a spelling variant of the Arabic name Jamila (جميلة), the feminine form of Jamil (جميل), meaning "beautiful" or "handsome." Both come from the Arabic root j-m-l, which carries the sense of beauty. The related noun jamāl (جمال), "beauty," is a separate formation from the same root and is itself used as a given name, but it is not the direct source of Jamela.
The change from the -i- of Jamila to the -e- of Jamela is an English spelling adjustment rather than a change in meaning; the two forms are understood the same way. A literal translation ("beautiful") is the etymological sense, and this is the only meaning that is supported by the name's Arabic components.
Jamela Name History & Origins
Jamela belongs to a group of names built on the Arabic root j-m-l. The feminine form Jamila has been used in Arabic-speaking societies since early Islamic times; Jamila bint Thabit, a woman of Medina, is remembered in early Islamic accounts as a wife of the caliph Umar and the mother of his son Asim. Through trade, migration, and the spread of Islam, the name and its close relatives moved into North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The name also entered Anatolia and the Balkans through Ottoman Turkish, where it took the form Cemile; the Bosnian form Džemila is another regional rendering. These forms adjusted the sound and spelling to fit the local language while keeping the Arabic sense of the name.
The spelling Jamela is one of several English-language respellings of Jamila, alongside Jameela and Jamilah. Such respellings follow English pronunciation and spelling habits rather than pointing to a separate origin. Similar-looking names in other languages should not be assumed to share this Arabic source without evidence.
How Popular is the Name Jamela?
Jamela has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1986. Its best rank was #2,748 in 1986.
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 | #12,446 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #10,585 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #14,138 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,776 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #9,860 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #16,126 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #10,119 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #15,110 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #12,299 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2014 | #12,390 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #12,472 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #8,836 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #10,698 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #15,776 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #14,301 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #7,542 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2007 | #6,934 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2006 | #6,984 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #5,164 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #5,832 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #9,306 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2002 | #6,243 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2001 | #4,894 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2000 | #6,614 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #5,517 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #4,284 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1997 | #5,100 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1996 | #4,796 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1995 | #3,620 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1994 | #4,422 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #3,369 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1992 | #3,714 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 1991 | #3,862 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #3,460 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1989 | #3,346 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1988 | #3,184 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1987 | #3,905 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,748 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1985 | #4,522 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1984 | #3,552 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 1983 | #3,601 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1982 | #4,587 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #3,779 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1980 | #4,395 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #3,817 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1978 | #3,550 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1977 | #3,026 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #4,028 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1975 | #4,226 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #4,553 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1973 | #5,005 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #4,903 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #7,737 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #6,194 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #7,178 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #7,173 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #5,686 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Jamela Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Jamela's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jamela's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.