Jilani

Jilani is a surname of Persian and Arabic origin used by Muslims in South Asia and the wider Muslim world. It is a nisba, a surname suffix that denotes origin or affiliation, and is commonly interpreted as meaning “from Gilān” — the region of Gilan in northern Iran — or as an attribution connected to the historical figure Abdul Qadir Gilani, the 11th–12th century Sufi saint who founded the Qadiriyya order. The spelling Jilani is one of several transliterations of Gilani; others include Gilani and Gilaniy. Variants are subject to local pronunciation and transliteration practices.

The name is particularly common in Pakistan and India, with presence among Bangladeshi, Afghan, Iranian, and diaspora communities in the Middle East and Europe. As a hereditary or adopted surname, it encompasses people across diverse professions and does not, in itself, indicate a specific caste, occupation, or religious role. In some lineages, families bearing Jilani claim descent from or spiritual affinity with Abdul Qadir Gilani and members of the Qadiriyya Sufi network; in others the connection is more historical or nominal.

Notable individuals with the Jilani surname appear across fields such as academia, politics, and the arts, reflecting the name’s broad geographic and cultural distribution.

See also: Abdul Qadir Gilani; Gilani (surname).