Imani
Imani is a girls' name of African origin meaning “faith.” It ranked #579 in the United States in 2025. Imani is a Swahili name meaning 'faith' and is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
how do you pronounce Imani?
ih-MAH-nee
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Imani mean?
The name Imani means “faith.” It comes from the African language tradition.
Imani is a Swahili name meaning 'faith' and is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. It became popular among African American families in the 1970s as part of the cultural pride movement.
where does the name Imani come from?
The single Wiktionary entry for Imani is garbled where it should name the borrowing language, but it confirms the meaning as faith or belief, tracing ultimately to the Arabic إِيمَان (īmān). This is consistent with the faith gloss given elsewhere, though the source doesn't itself confirm the Swahili-language routing or the Kwanzaa connection mentioned elsewhere.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #579 |
| 2024 | #526 |
| 2023 | #476 |
| 2022 | #504 |
| 2021 | #530 |
| 2020 | #522 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Imani?
- Imani Coppola (American singer)
- Imani Hakim (American actress)
what names are similar to Imani?
what names go well with Imani?
Sibling names that share Imani's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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