Jamal

Meaning of Jamal

Rooted in the Arabic word for “beauty,” Jamal carries a polished simplicity that has traveled comfortably from the bazaars of old Damascus to modern NBA arenas. Persian poets once wove jamāl into couplets to praise moon-lit roses, and today the name still whispers that same quiet elegance—no linguistic acrobatics required, just a gentle juh-MAHL. In the United States, Jamal crested in popularity during the 1970s Black cultural renaissance, slipped into a long, measured decline, and now holds a steady middle-order rank, suggesting a classic rather than a fad. Notable bearers range from novelist Jamal Mahjoub to basketball sharpshooter Jamal Murray, proof that the name adapts as easily to ink-stained manuscripts as to high-gloss arenas. Parents who choose Jamal often appreciate its balance: short yet sonorous, familiar yet untrendy, a compact vessel for the perennial human wish to see beauty—jamāl—reflected in a child’s life.