Eli Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EE-ly //ˈiː.laɪ//
Origin: Hebrew; English
Meaning: Hebrew: 'ascended' or 'my God'; English: diminutive form
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Eli has its roots in Hebrew, derived from the word "‘Eli," which means "ascended," "my God," or "high." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, where Eli is a significant figure, serving as a high priest and judge of Israel during the period of the Judges. The name was transliterated into Greek as "Eli," which was then adopted into Latin, maintaining its form as it entered Old French and subsequently English.
The biblical narrative surrounding Eli, particularly his mentorship of the prophet Samuel, has contributed to the name's enduring presence in religious and cultural contexts. Historically, Eli is mentioned in the First Book of Samuel, which is dated to around the 11th century BCE.
His role as a priest and his interactions with Samuel are pivotal moments in the biblical story, illustrating themes of faith and divine communication. The name gained further prominence through various translations of the Bible, including the Septuagint and the Vulgate, which helped disseminate the name throughout Christian communities in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Culturally, the name Eli has been associated with wisdom and spiritual leadership, reflecting the characteristics of its biblical namesake. In Jewish tradition, Eli is often viewed as a figure of moral complexity, representing both the challenges of leadership and the importance of faithfulness to God.
The name has also inspired various diminutive forms, such as "Elihu," which appears in the Book of Job, further enriching its historical and cultural tapestry. Overall, Eli's significance in religious texts and its linguistic journey through history underscore its lasting impact across cultures.
Famous people named Eli
In this section, you will find notable people named Eli. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Eli who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Eli who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Eli Manning is a former professional American football quarterback best known for winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
Eli Roth is a filmmaker and actor best known for Cabin Fever, Hostel, and The Green Inferno.
Eli Wallach was an actor best known for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and The Godfather Part III.
Eli Whitney was an inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin and contributing to the development of interchangeable parts.
Fictional characters named Eli
The following list of fictional characters named Eli is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Eli Voss is a fictional character from the video game series The Last of Us. He is a key character who plays a significant role in the survival and emotional journey of the protagonist.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Eli, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Eli. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Eli was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Eli has ranked as high as #57 nationally, which occurred in 2012, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
In the past 5 years the name Eli has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Eli is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Eli was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Eli (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 397 | |
| CA | 390 | |
| NY | 230 | |
| FL | 227 | |
| GA | 130 | |
| PA | 130 | |
| NC | 128 | |
| IL | 127 | |
| OH | 125 | |
| MI | 112 | |
| TN | 104 | |
| VA | 96 | |
| AZ | 84 | |
| WI | 78 | |
| IN | 73 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Eli.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,723 |
| 2023 | 4,106 |
| 2022 | 4,702 |
| 2021 | 4,910 |
| 2020 | 5,278 |
| 2019 | 5,535 |
| 2018 | 6,091 |
| 2017 | 6,636 |
| 2016 | 7,129 |
| 2015 | 7,158 |
| 2014 | 7,508 |
| 2013 | 7,949 |
| 2012 | 8,076 |
| 2011 | 7,219 |
| 2010 | 6,570 |
| 2009 | 4,921 |
| 2008 | 4,521 |
| 2007 | 3,250 |
| 2006 | 2,994 |
| 2005 | 2,697 |
| 2004 | 2,550 |
| 2003 | 1,993 |
| 2002 | 1,953 |
| 2001 | 1,644 |
| 2000 | 1,496 |
| 1999 | 1,068 |
| 1998 | 1,016 |
| 1997 | 866 |
| 1996 | 891 |
| 1995 | 862 |
| 1994 | 893 |
| 1993 | 877 |
| 1992 | 708 |
| 1991 | 712 |
| 1990 | 667 |
| 1989 | 624 |
| 1988 | 543 |
| 1987 | 550 |
| 1986 | 563 |
| 1985 | 558 |
| 1984 | 507 |
| 1983 | 518 |
| 1982 | 503 |
| 1981 | 550 |
| 1980 | 539 |
| 1979 | 498 |
| 1978 | 441 |
| 1977 | 476 |
| 1976 | 381 |
| 1975 | 338 |
| 1974 | 373 |
| 1973 | 339 |
| 1972 | 264 |
| 1971 | 268 |
| 1970 | 232 |
| 1969 | 129 |
| 1968 | 139 |
| 1967 | 126 |
| 1966 | 117 |
| 1965 | 117 |
| 1964 | 121 |
| 1963 | 139 |
| 1962 | 140 |
| 1961 | 146 |
| 1960 | 149 |
| 1959 | 146 |
| 1958 | 117 |
| 1957 | 129 |
| 1956 | 153 |
| 1955 | 119 |
| 1954 | 135 |
| 1953 | 126 |
| 1952 | 140 |
| 1951 | 142 |
| 1950 | 139 |
| 1949 | 125 |
| 1948 | 137 |
| 1947 | 143 |
| 1946 | 116 |
| 1945 | 125 |
| 1944 | 124 |
| 1943 | 118 |
| 1942 | 130 |
| 1941 | 130 |
| 1940 | 140 |
| 1939 | 110 |
| 1938 | 119 |
| 1937 | 144 |
| 1936 | 161 |
| 1935 | 175 |
| 1934 | 176 |
| 1933 | 157 |
| 1932 | 186 |
| 1931 | 174 |
| 1930 | 190 |
| 1929 | 198 |
| 1928 | 215 |
| 1927 | 224 |
| 1926 | 266 |
| 1925 | 291 |
| 1924 | 247 |
| 1923 | 260 |
| 1922 | 275 |
| 1921 | 291 |
| 1920 | 253 |
| 1919 | 241 |
| 1918 | 286 |
| 1917 | 246 |
| 1916 | 271 |
| 1915 | 269 |
| 1914 | 208 |
| 1913 | 167 |
| 1912 | 159 |
| 1911 | 81 |
| 1910 | 63 |
| 1909 | 60 |
| 1908 | 55 |
| 1907 | 50 |
| 1906 | 44 |
| 1905 | 43 |
| 1904 | 43 |
| 1903 | 47 |
| 1902 | 51 |
| 1901 | 45 |
| 1900 | 45 |
| 1899 | 38 |
| 1898 | 46 |
| 1897 | 39 |
| 1896 | 43 |
| 1895 | 55 |
| 1894 | 60 |
| 1893 | 53 |
| 1892 | 60 |
| 1891 | 49 |
| 1890 | 49 |
| 1889 | 60 |
| 1888 | 75 |
| 1887 | 51 |
| 1886 | 66 |
| 1885 | 56 |
| 1884 | 67 |
| 1883 | 82 |
| 1882 | 94 |
| 1881 | 97 |
| 1880 | 73 |