Jamel is of Arabic origin, meaning 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. It is often used as a boy's name but can also be given to girls. Jamel gained popularity in the West due to its use by international figures such as French-Algerian footballer Zinedine Zidane and his son, also named Jamel.
The name Jamel saw a significant rise and fall in popularity between the years 1961 to 2003, with a total of 367 babies named Jamel during this period. The name's peak occurred between 1967 and 1970, with over 50 births each year, reaching a high of 14 in 1970. After the mid-1980s, the popularity of the name began to decline steadily, with fewer than 10 babies named Jamel each year from 1987 onwards, and only five in both 2003 and 2005.