Eli
Eli was the 104th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,418 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 43rd with 8,079 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 51 places. More babies were named Eli in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning ascent; height · Hebrew
Say it EE-ly /ˈilaɪ/
- Rank in 2025
- #104 boys, down 44 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,418boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20128,079 babies
- Total since 1880
- 154,512babies recorded
What does the name Eli mean?
Eli is the name of the priest at Shiloh who raised the young Samuel in the Bible. Wiktionary derives the Hebrew name from a root meaning 'to go up', glossing it 'ascent', and notes that it is related to the Arabic name Ali. In modern use Eli is also a short form of longer names such as Elijah, Elias and Elisha, which begin with El, 'God', and are unrelated to the priest's name. Many American families who choose Eli treat it as a name in its own right.
עֵלִי (Biblical Hebrew, “Eli, ascent, height”)
How sure is this? Probable. The biblical name's 'ascent' gloss rests on a Hebrew root; as a short form of Elijah etc. it carries those names' meanings instead.
Related names: Ely, Elijah, Elias, Elisha, Ali.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Eli', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 1:9, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
Eli popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,017 since 1916, 35 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #104 | 3,418 |
| 2020 | #60 | 5,281 |
| 2010 | #65 | 6,571 |
| 2000 | #228 | 1,496 |
| 1990 | #359 | 667 |
| 1980 | #342 | 539 |
| 1970 | #530 | 232 |
| 1960 | #639 | 149 |
| 1950 | #575 | 139 |
| 1940 | #492 | 140 |
| 1930 | #430 | 190 |
| 1920 | #376 | 253 |
| 1910 | #312 | 63 |
| 1900 | #316 | 45 |
| 1890 | #239 | 49 |
| 1880 | #177 | 73 |
How popular is Eli, counting every spelling?
Eli has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #113 for boys in 2025, against #104 on the official list, because Kayden/Kaiden/Caden and Nicholas/Nicolas and Elliot/Elliott/Eliot move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Eli?
3,418 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Eli (0.95 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Eli born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Eli.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Eli?
About 142,300 people born in the US named Eli are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 8 and 19. That makes Eli mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Eli by state
How common Eli was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (2.6×), Alaska (2.4×), North Dakota (2.0×), Hawaii (1.9×), New Mexico (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oregon, Connecticut, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Eli: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Eli, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Eli · Sibling names for Eli
Eli is also a nickname for Eliezer, Elias, Elijah, Elliot and Elisha.
Questions about the name Eli
What does Eli mean?
Eli means “ascent; height” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Eli?
Eli was the 104th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,418 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 43rd with 8,079 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 51 places. More babies were named Eli in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Eli a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Eli in the US.
Where is Eli most popular?
In 2021–2025, Eli was most common in Wyoming (6.22 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and North Dakota.