Eli
How to say it: EE-ly · /ˈilaɪ/
Hebrew name meaning 'my God' or 'high, exalted'. A high priest in the Old Testament (1 Samuel).
Eli was the 111th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 3,418 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2010s, its births are down about 52% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #176 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #111 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 3,418 |
| Share of births | 1 in 956 |
| Peak decade | 2010s |
| Change over 10 years | −52% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #176 |
| In France, 2025 | #240 among boys’ names, 165 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Holding near its 2010s high, Eli remains well used. A gentle slide is foreseen for coming seasons.
What goes with it
Short and gentle in sound, Eli carries a biblical theme. Ezra makes a good stylistic companion.
Middle names that flow with Eli →
Other spellings
Honouring a Eli in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Eli is about 1 in 40.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Welsh.
In France: #240 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #137. Ireland: #208.
Famous people named Eli
- Eli Roth (born 1972)American filmmaker and actor
- Eli Wallach (1915–2014)American actor
- Eli Whitney (1765–1825)American inventor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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