Boy · #12,230 in 2026

Kweli

Name: Popularity of the name Kweli in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Kweli, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He is one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def. Their 1998 single, "Definition", entered the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded their eponymous debut album (1998), which entered the Billboard 200.

Current Rank

#12,230

Peak Rank

#2,847 (2003)

Total Babies

228

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1974

First Year

1978

Last Year

1974

Peak Year

#7679

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kweli

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Kweli

Kweli first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2000, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 34 Kwelis were born — ranking #2,847 that year. As of 2026, Kweli ranks #12,230 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 228 Kwelis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Kweli

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kweli is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Quali
Kwela
Quella
Qualy
Quealy
Quello
Qualey
Quaily
Quilla
Quelch
Kelly
Quell

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kweli

What does the name Kweli mean?

How popular is Kweli in 2026?

In 2026, Kweli ranks #12,230 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Kweli most popular?

Kweli reached its peak popularity in 2003, ranking #2,847 that year with 34 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kweli most popular?

Kweli has historically been most popular in North Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kweli.

Is Kweli a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kweli is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Kweli?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kweli include Shadrach, Sebastain, Nacho. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Kweli

Kweli is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2000 and has accumulated 228 births in the dataset. Kweli's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #2,847. Use the chart and map above to compare Kweli's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.