Gilani as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Gilani

What is the meaning of the name Gilani ?

The baby name Gilani is a Unisex name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced gih-LAH-nee (IPA: /ɡɪˈlɑːni/).

Gilani is Arabic, Persian in Origin.

Gilani is a locative name from Persian Gilan, the lush Caspian province of northern Iran, formed with the Arabic nisba suffix -i to mean “of Gilan” or “Gilanese.” Because classical Arabic lacks a hard g, the name appears as al-Jilani in Arabic sources; Persian and Urdu preserve the g, yielding Gilani. Its sense is affiliation or origin, akin to “from Gilan.”

Usage grew through the renown of the 12th-century Sufi saint Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, founder of the Qadiriyya order, after whom many families and boys were named. Today it is common as a Muslim surname and also as a masculine given or middle name across Iran, Iraq, the Levant, Turkey, and South Asia (notably Pakistan and Kashmir), with presence in East Africa through historical trade links. Established variants include Jilani, Jeelani, Geelani, Gillani, al-Gilani, and al-Jilani.