Jamilia is of Arabic origin, meaning "beautiful" or "charming." It is composed of two elements: 'jamil', which signifies beauty or charm, and '-iya', a suffix denoting belongingness or possession. Thus, Jamilia could be interpreted as "one who possesses beauty" or "one who is charming." This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly among Muslims in regions such as North Africa, the Middle East, and India. Today, it continues to be used widely across various cultures and communities worldwide.
The name Jamilia experienced significant popularity between the late 70s and mid-90s, with peaks of over 20 births per year occurring consistently from 1987 to 1994. However, starting in the late 90s, there was a noticeable decline in its usage, dropping below 10 births annually since 1996, and even as low as 5 births per year in several recent years. Despite this decrease, Jamilia has still seen over 500 total births between 1977 and 2023.