Quick answer
Jelani is a boy/girl name.
Meaning and history
This name began to be used rarely in the United States in 1973 after it was featured in a nation-wide newspaper article about African baby names. It probably represents the Arabic name Jilani, given in honour of the Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (the meaning quoted by the newspaper article ("mighty") coincides with the meaning of Qadir ). The name reached its peak of popularity in 1998, likely because it had sounds in common with other fashionable African-American names of the time.
Notes and context
Usage: african american