Eli Boy

Popularity: #104 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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.

NoahIsaacLeviSamuelAaronMicah

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.

EthanEzraOrenAsherIsaiahElijahCalebJonah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Eli was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Eli has ranked as high as #61 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,453 3,418 35
2024 3,786 3,742 44
2023 4,140 4,111 29
2022 4,745 4,704 41
2021 4,942 4,913 29
2020 5,310 5,281 29
2019 5,572 5,539 33
2018 6,132 6,094 38
2017 6,660 6,637 23
2016 7,165 7,132 33
2015 7,190 7,163 27
2014 7,535 7,513 22
2013 7,988 7,952 36
2012 8,110 8,079 31
2011 7,259 7,220 39
2010 6,602 6,571 31
2009 4,953 4,923 30
2008 4,546 4,526 20
2007 3,273 3,253 20
2006 3,019 2,997 22
2005 2,717 2,699 18
2004 2,599 2,557 42
2003 2,011 1,995 16
2002 1,971 1,953 18
2001 1,665 1,644 21
2000 1,505 1,496 9
1999 1,084 1,068 16
1998 1,035 1,016 19
1997 878 866 12
1996 899 891 8
1995 880 864 16
1994 907 893 14
1993 891 877 14
1992 720 708 12
1991 725 712 13
1990 675 667 8
1989 633 624 9
1988 554 543 11
1987 556 550 6
1986 568 563 5
1985 568 558 10
1984 514 507 7
1983 530 518 12
1982 513 503 10
1981 555 550 5
1980 548 539 9
1979 498 498 0
1978 447 441 6
1977 483 476 7
1976 393 381 12
1975 338 338 0
1974 378 373 5
1973 346 339 7
1972 269 264 5
1971 268 268 0
1970 232 232 0
1969 129 129 0
1968 139 139 0
1967 126 126 0
1966 117 117 0
1965 117 117 0
1964 121 121 0
1963 139 139 0
1962 140 140 0
1961 146 146 0
1960 154 149 5
1959 146 146 0
1958 117 117 0
1957 129 129 0
1956 153 153 0
1955 119 119 0
1954 135 135 0
1953 126 126 0
1952 140 140 0
1951 142 142 0
1950 139 139 0
1949 125 125 0
1948 137 137 0
1947 143 143 0
1946 116 116 0
1945 125 125 0
1944 124 124 0
1943 118 118 0
1942 130 130 0
1941 130 130 0
1940 140 140 0
1939 110 110 0
1938 119 119 0
1937 144 144 0
1936 161 161 0
1935 175 175 0
1934 176 176 0
1933 157 157 0
1932 186 186 0
1931 174 174 0
1930 190 190 0
1929 198 198 0
1928 215 215 0
1927 224 224 0
1926 266 266 0
1925 291 291 0
1924 247 247 0
1923 260 260 0
1922 275 275 0
1921 296 291 5
1920 260 253 7
1919 241 241 0
1918 286 286 0
1917 246 246 0
1916 277 271 6
1915 269 269 0
1914 208 208 0
1913 167 167 0
1912 159 159 0
1911 81 81 0
1910 63 63 0
1909 60 60 0
1908 55 55 0
1907 50 50 0
1906 44 44 0
1905 43 43 0
1904 43 43 0
1903 47 47 0
1902 51 51 0
1901 45 45 0
1900 45 45 0
1899 38 38 0
1898 46 46 0
1897 39 39 0
1896 43 43 0
1895 55 55 0
1894 60 60 0
1893 53 53 0
1892 60 60 0
1891 49 49 0
1890 49 49 0
1889 60 60 0
1888 75 75 0
1887 51 51 0
1886 66 66 0
1885 56 56 0
1884 67 67 0
1883 82 82 0
1882 94 94 0
1881 97 97 0
1880 73 73 0

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 407
11%
CA 396
11%
NY 230
6%
FL 227
6%
GA 130
3%
PA 130
3%
NC 128
3%
IL 127
3%
OH 125
3%
MI 112
3%
TN 104
3%
NJ 99
3%
VA 96
3%
AZ 84
2%
WI 78
2%
IN 73
2%
WA 71
2%
KY 70
2%
MN 69
2%
LA 66
2%
MO 64
2%
MD 64
2%
CO 63
2%
AL 59
2%
MA 59
2%
SC 56
2%
UT 54
1%
OK 44
1%
KS 40
1%
OR 39
1%
AR 34
1%
IA 33
1%
NV 30
1%
NM 29
1%
MS 29
1%
ID 25
1%
NE 23
1%
WV 23
1%
CT 21
1%
NH 17
0%
MT 15
0%
ME 14
0%
HI 14
0%
ND 13
0%
AK 12
0%
SD 11
0%
DC 11
0%
WY 8
0%
RI 6
0%