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Damali
How to Pronounce Damali
Pronounced dah-MAH-lee /dɑˈmɑli/Medium
Meaning: Damali is a Swahili girls' name of Arabic derivation, commonly translated 'beautiful vision'. It appeared in American records especially from the 1970s onward as part of the movement toward Afrocentric names celebrating African languages and heritage. It is a genuine heritage name rather than a coinage.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Damali is a Swahili girls' name of Arabic origin, generally translated 'beautiful vision'. Its American use grew from the 1970s as part of the broader Afrocentric naming movement, in which families chose names drawn from Swahili and other African languages to affirm heritage and identity. It carries a real, attested meaning.
Damali was always uncommon in the United States, peaking around 1972 at about thirty girls a year and appearing thinly into the 2020s. It reads as a heritage name tied to a specific cultural moment; a Damali from the peak would be in her fifties, and the name remains distinctive and meaningful.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Damali mean?
Damali is a Swahili name, of Arabic origin, generally translated 'beautiful vision'.
How do you pronounce Damali?
It is said dah-MAH-lee /dɑˈmɑli/, three syllables stressed on the second.
Is Damali a boy or girl name?
Damali is used as a girl's name.
How popular is the name Damali?
Damali has always been uncommon, a Swahili heritage name embraced in Afrocentric naming since the nineteen-seventies.