unisex name
Akili
ah-KEE-lee (Swahili)
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 715
Akili is a unisex name with 3 syllables. It is given to both girls and boys — about 36% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1999, when 38 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 473,709 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1972.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Akili Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 90 |
| 1980s | 43 |
| 1990s | 191 |
| 2000s | 217 |
| 2010s | 125 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 49 |
How Popular Is Akili?
In 2025, Akili was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Akili
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Akili Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Akili over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Akili
- Swahili ah-KEE-lee
Sibling Names for Akili
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Akili — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Akili
How popular is the name Akili?
In 2025, Akili was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Akili a girl's or a boy's name?
Akili is used for both girls and boys. About 36% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Akili?
Akili has 3 syllables.
When was Akili most popular?
Akili peaked in 1999, when 38 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Akili a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Akili currently ranks #10,311 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.