UK boy's name
Jalal
A masculine Arabic name meaning "glory", "majesty" or "grandeur".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jalal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jalal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2088, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 11 births.
This profile covers 188 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 187 living people in the UK are called Jalal. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jalal ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 11 boys were registered as Jalal.
- • About 187 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jalal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2088
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2009
11 births
Estimated living
187
2026
Meaning
What does Jalal mean?
The name Jalal has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the 7th century. The name is derived from the Arabic word "jalal," which means "glory" or "majesty." It is a name that carries a sense of grandeur and reverence.
In the religious context, the name Jalal is closely associated with one of the names of Allah in Islam, "Al-Jalal," which refers to His magnificence and supreme glory. This connection has contributed to the name's widespread use among Muslims throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jalal can be found in the works of the renowned Persian poet and philosopher, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, who lived from 1207 to 1273. Rumi, also known as Mawlana (our master), was a Sufi mystic and is considered one of the greatest poets in the Persian language.
Another notable figure bearing the name Jalal is Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Akbar, the third Mughal emperor of India, who ruled from 1556 to 1605. Akbar was known for his religious tolerance, military conquests, and administrative reforms that contributed to the establishment of the Mughal Empire as a major power in the subcontinent.
In the modern era, Jalal Al-e Ahmad (1923-1969) was an influential Iranian writer, novelist, and social critic who played a significant role in shaping the intellectual discourse of pre-revolutionary Iran. His works, such as "Gharbzadegi" (Westoxification), criticized the blind adoption of Western values and called for a revival of authentic Iranian culture.
Another prominent figure with the name Jalal is Jalal Talabani (1933-2017), who served as the sixth President of Iraq from 2005 to 2014. Talabani was a Kurdish politician and the first non-Arab president of Iraq, known for his efforts to promote Kurdish rights and national reconciliation.
Finally, Jalal Agha Shahi (1919-2003) was a distinguished Pakistani diplomat and writer who served as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan from 1973 to 1982. He played a crucial role in Pakistan's foreign policy during the Cold War era and authored several books on international relations and diplomacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jalal over time
The chart below shows babies named Jalal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jalal, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jalal by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jalal was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2615 | 39 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3277 | 60 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2347 | 64 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1953 | 25 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Jalal
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jalal: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jalal in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jalal was ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Jalal most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 11 babies registered as Jalal in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jalal?
A masculine Arabic name meaning "glory", "majesty" or "grandeur".
How many people are called Jalal in the UK?
A total of 188 babies have been registered as Jalal across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.