NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Jamil

A masculine Arabic name meaning "handsome" or "beautiful".

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.

Jamil is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jamil popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2443, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 46 births.

This profile covers 668 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 20% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 663 living people in the UK are called Jamil. 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

  • Jamil ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2004, when 46 boys were registered as Jamil.
  • About 663 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jamil as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2443

2024

Births in 2024

9

Latest year

Peak year

2004

46 births

Estimated living

663

2026

Meaning

What does Jamil mean?

The name Jamil has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, tracing back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic root word "jamala," which means "beauty" or "elegance." In the early days of Islam, the name was often given to boys as a reflection of their parents' wish for them to possess inner and outer beauty.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jamil can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. In Surah Al-Insan (Chapter 76, Verse 11), the term "jameel" is used to describe the reward of Paradise, highlighting its beauty and splendor.

The name gained popularity in the Middle East and spread to other regions as Islam expanded. In the 8th century AD, Jamil ibn Ma'mar al-Udwani was a renowned Arab poet and scholar known for his eloquence and literary contributions.

During the medieval period, Jamil al-Din al-Afghani, born in 1838, was an influential Islamic philosopher and political activist who advocated for Pan-Islamic unity and reforms against Western imperialism.

In the modern era, Jamil Naqsh, born in 1938, was a celebrated Pakistani artist renowned for his calligraphic paintings and contributions to the contemporary art scene in South Asia.

Another notable figure was Jamil Ahmad, born in 1933, a renowned Pakistani nuclear physicist who played a crucial role in the country's nuclear program and served as the chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.

Jamil DeBody, born in 1912, was a prominent French writer and philosopher who explored existential themes and the human condition through his literary works.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jamil, reflecting its enduring appeal across cultures and centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Jamil over time

The chart below shows babies named Jamil 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 Jamil, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 46 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Jamil
012233546199620102024

Decades

Jamil by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jamil 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 #1991 59 5
2010s #1465 202 10
2000s #792 304 10
1990s #654 103 4

Notable bearers

Famous people named Jamil

  • Jamil Roberts

    association football player

    English football player

    1998-

  • Jamil Adam

    association football player

    Footballer (born 1991)

    1991-

  • Jamil Hassan

    cricketer

    English cricketer (born 1980)

    1980-

  • Jamil Dehlavi

    screenwriter; actor; film director; film producer

    British film director and producer

    1944-

  • Jamil Azar

    writer; journalist

    Jordanian media personality

    1937-2026

  • Jamil Baz

    economist

    British businessman

Related

Names similar to Jamil

FAQ

Jamil: questions and answers

How popular is the name Jamil in the UK right now?

In 2024, Jamil was ranked #2443 for boys in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.

When was Jamil most popular?

The peak year on record was 2004, with 46 babies registered as Jamil in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Jamil?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "handsome" or "beautiful".

How many people are called Jamil in the UK?

A total of 668 babies have been registered as Jamil 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.