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Eli as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Eli

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The baby name Eli is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈiːlaɪ/ (EE-lye); also /ˈiːli/ (EE-lee); Hebrew: /ˈɛli/ (EH-lee).

Eli is Hebrew in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: /ˈiːlaɪ/ (EE-lye); also /ˈiːli/ (EE-lee); Hebrew: /ˈɛli/ (EH-lee)

What is the meaning of the name Eli ?

The baby name Eli is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈiːlaɪ/ (EE-lye); also /ˈiːli/ (EE-lee); Hebrew: /ˈɛli/ (EH-lee).

Eli is Hebrew in Origin.

Eli is a Hebrew given name, written עֵלִי/אֵלִי, with two overlapping sources. As ’Eli it means “my God,” a theophoric short form of names beginning with El- (notably Eliyahu/Elijah). As ’Ely it derives from a root meaning “to ascend, be high,” yielding “exalted” or “uplifted.” In the Hebrew Bible, Eli is the priest and judge of Shiloh who mentors Samuel, while the cry “Eli” in scripture preserves the “my God” sense.

Adopted in English by Puritans and later revived in the United States, Eli is now common across the Anglophone world and parts of Europe. It also appears as a Scandinavian feminine name, especially in Norway, as a short form of Elisabet. Related forms include Elijah (Eliyahu), Elias, Elia (Italian), Élie (French), Eeli (Finnish), and Heli (Greek/Spanish biblical). Diminutives and variant spellings include Elie and Ely. In modern usage, Eli also functions as a nickname for Elisha, Elliot, and other El- names.

Eli has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Eli

Eli Wallach Actor · Born 1915 · United States Eli Wallach was an American actor best known for his character roles in films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and The Godfather Part III. Born in New York City, he built a celebrated career across film, television, and stage that lasted more than 60 years. Eli Whitney Politician · Born 1765 · United States Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for creating the cotton gin in 1793. His invention became one of the most important advances of the Industrial Revolution and had a major impact on the economy of the Antebellum South. Eli Roth Actor · Born 1972 · United States Eli Roth is an American filmmaker and actor best known for his horror movies. He became especially famous for directing Cabin Fever and Hostel, two films closely associated with the splatter-horror genre.
Eli Marienthal Actor · Born 1986 · United States Eli Marienthal is an American former actor best known for voicing Hogarth Hughes in The Iron Giant. He won an Annie Award for his performance in the 1999 animated film.

Celebrity babies named Eli

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Eli Craig Sally Field television actor ★★★★★
Eli Snyder Zack Snyder film producer ★★★★★

Eli – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
AZ 0 #8 42 706
BF 0 #10 1 188
SV 0 #11 1 283
IL Boys 0 #13 5,621 10,983
AZ Boys 0 #14 323 1,400
SV Girls 0 #16 3 458
BW 0 #19 1 960
IL 0 #24 654 6,291
PS 0 #24 342 5,692
ET Boys 0 #26 2 678
SV Boys 0 #28 1 352
PS Boys 0 #29 2,726 10,655
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
BG Girls 0 #33 359 3,559
HT Boys 0 #33 2 903
EE 0 #35 3 1,051
AL 0 #37 39 2,372
HN Girls 0 #37 2 884
ID 0 #38 2 2,238
GE 0 #41 4 997
HN Boys 0 #51 2 749
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
New Zealand Boys 2010 #52 88 99
PR 0 #53 3 1,497
AZ Girls 0 #55 20 1,051
BG 0 #55 26 1,799
AL Girls 0 #58 262 4,141
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
Canada Boys 2024 #67 393 2,588
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
SI 0 #75 6 1,612
MV Boys 0 #77 3 3,375
AL Boys 0 #80 355 5,122
RS 0 #84 1 923
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
ID Girls 0 #86 13 3,319
PH 0 #87 10 5,607
AF Girls 0 #88 7 2,402
United States Boys 2024 #91 3,723 7,044
TW 0 #91 10 4,523
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
BN Girls 0 #94 13 5,459
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
IR Girls 0 #99 1,330 8,334
GE Girls 0 #100 9 1,564
GE Boys 0 #102 9 2,055
QA 0 #102 5 7,011
EC 0 #105 11 2,502
Norway Girls 2025 #108 19 453
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
Switzerland Boys 2024 #115 23 1,769
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
EC Girls 0 #127 123 3,650
IQ 0 #130 4 3,533
Switzerland Girls 2024 #131 5 1,786
CR 0 #131 28 5,526
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
GR 0 #131 5 3,911
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
MU 0 #132 6 3,613
SI Girls 0 #132 43 2,769
Belgium Boys 2024 #133 56 401
PA 0 #135 4 3,797
BN Boys 0 #136 4 6,332
UY 0 #137 41 2,477
AR Girls 0 #141 1,400 8,289
EE Girls 0 #141 2 1,888
Spain Girls 0 #141 4,976 5,561
MX Girls 0 #145 6,345 17,781
MT Girls 0 #148 6 3,773
BO Girls 0 #149 1,192 9,488
AR 0 #150 37 2,915
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
PR Girls 0 #150 12 3,171
BW Boys 0 #151 4 4,685
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
UY Girls 0 #154 732 6,731
Sweden Boys 2022 #156 27 1,509
PR Boys 0 #158 17 2,508
CZ 0 #168 18 3,154
IR 0 #169 64 4,221
HU Boys 0 #171 4 3,954
Sweden Girls 2022 #172 8 1,568
GT 0 #172 152 5,948
GT Girls 0 #174 496 7,500
LU Girls 0 #174 12 4,850
AO Girls 0 #179 31 4,575
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
AE 0 #181 7 10,220
CR Girls 0 #181 548 11,342
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
SI Boys 0 #182 28 3,402
PE Girls 0 #186 2,681 14,861
RU 0 #192 3 3,641
Austria 0 #193 21 850
DK 0 #194 10 5,198
LT Girls 0 #199 2 1,904
CZ Girls 0 #202 160 5,378
PE 0 #209 103 6,350
PL 0 #209 4 2,600
MX 0 #210 228 8,339
GR Girls 0 #211 32 6,293
BG Boys 0 #212 9 3,850
AO Boys 0 #215 28 5,568
NA Girls 0 #215 10 7,146
JP Girls 0 #219 27 6,592
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
NA Boys 0 #220 16 6,830
GH 0 #221 23 5,396
BO 0 #222 168 6,868
PA Girls 0 #222 311 9,861
HU Girls 0 #224 2 3,308
TW Boys 0 #224 18 7,111
EC Boys 0 #225 15 3,322
Spain 0 #226 277 2,326
GH Boys 0 #229 122 8,138
GT Boys 0 #229 345 7,625
MO Boys 0 #233 2 5,842
TW Girls 0 #235 42 8,139
BD 0 #237 5 5,992
PT 0 #244 7 4,161
JM Boys 0 #253 20 6,876
France Boys 2021 #255 141 2,865
HR Girls 0 #255 35 3,687
MO Girls 0 #255 9 7,056
HR Boys 0 #257 3 3,997
CL Girls 0 #262 1,364 14,098
GR Boys 0 #265 9 6,912
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
GH Girls 0 #275 50 6,973
KZ Boys 0 #276 14 6,578
SG 0 #278 5 11,010
SA 0 #284 12 10,560
QA Girls 0 #287 30 15,378
CN Boys 0 #288 32 9,639
CZ Boys 0 #293 12 6,530
DK Boys 0 #294 32 7,401
CR Boys 0 #295 224 10,188
JP Boys 0 #298 6 7,909
DK Girls 0 #303 14 7,429
BR 0 #305 41 5,969
Canada Girls 2015 #308 5 2,822
CO Girls 0 #308 2,155 16,140
KZ Girls 0 #310 11 5,862
MY 0 #317 14 12,352
PE Boys 0 #317 1,252 14,506
Austria Girls 0 #322 100 1,885
CL 0 #323 90 6,867
MU Girls 0 #325 27 8,539
PL Girls 0 #325 30 5,096
PH Boys 0 #327 57 11,440
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
CO 0 #338 147 7,768
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
PT Boys 0 #340 28 7,951
MU Boys 0 #344 14 8,477
HK 0 #350 8 8,483
CN Girls 0 #351 9 8,829
SD Girls 0 #352 7 7,678
PH Girls 0 #353 38 13,098
OM Girls 0 #361 36 15,987
NL 0 #366 26 2,481
IT Girls 0 #370 3,088 9,415
UY Boys 0 #371 29 5,922
YE 0 #372 10 8,639
MX Boys 0 #376 1,145 16,355
BR Girls 0 #380 974 12,708
PT Girls 0 #381 71 7,952
Germany 0 #382 56 2,542
JO Boys 0 #386 4 7,057
RU Boys 0 #387 119 12,621
PA Boys 0 #395 87 9,305
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
France Girls 2021 #403 3 3,185
AR Boys 0 #404 64 7,628
IT 0 #408 371 4,183
Austria Boys 0 #411 32 2,180
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
BR Boys 0 #421 409 12,213
RU Girls 0 #421 78 11,913
PS Girls 0 #453 71 10,981
SD Boys 0 #459 8 10,523
IQ Girls 0 #460 45 11,303
IR Boys 0 #463 90 10,162
CO Boys 0 #465 619 15,656
ZA 0 #467 8 14,421
AE Girls 0 #473 81 20,968
HK Boys 0 #473 55 12,905
CM Girls 0 #481 60 11,671
CM Boys 0 #484 67 12,054
SG Girls 0 #485 102 18,916
IL Girls 0 #491 128 11,648
KW Girls 0 #501 15 19,177
Germany Girls 0 #505 391 4,949
LY 0 #517 19 12,703
BH 0 #527 27 17,937
HK Girls 0 #535 81 16,104
LB 0 #536 123 13,263
BO Boys 0 #544 49 9,244
BD Boys 0 #566 11 10,045
IN Girls 0 #570 62 13,121
CL Boys 0 #582 84 13,390
Finland Boys 2026 #618 65 3,552
IQ Boys 0 #618 50 13,071
SY 0 #628 101 11,684
NG Boys 0 #644 338 16,906
SG Boys 0 #664 34 17,960
NG Girls 0 #684 103 15,093
QA Boys 0 #684 24 18,093
NL Boys 0 #713 243 5,873
Finland Girls 2026 #715 24 3,895
MY Girls 0 #743 257 24,821
KW Boys 0 #745 25 18,755
Spain Boys 0 #747 186 5,610
TN 0 #761 69 13,765
SA Girls 0 #801 135 25,931
Germany Boys 0 #831 122 5,697
OM Boys 0 #845 37 17,948
EG Boys 0 #853 34 15,035
NL Girls 0 #872 84 5,933
United States Girls 2024 #873 44 8,487
IT Boys 0 #911 593 10,046
EG Girls 0 #925 35 14,742
TR 0 #941 279 19,440
DZ 0 #957 220 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #997 182 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,008 104 25,439
IN Boys 0 #1,031 9 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,045 48 22,615
MA 0 #1,047 82 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,083 59 25,928
SA Boys 0 #1,484 131 28,008

Eli is popular in 96 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
France
Canada
Flanders, Belgium
Ireland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Eli

Eli is predominantly a boy's name.
Eli is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈiːlaɪ/ (EE-lye); also /ˈiːli/ (EE-lee); Hebrew: /ˈɛli/ (EH-lee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ely, Elie, Élie, Eliyahu, Eliyah and Elihu.
Across languages, Eli has these equivalents: Élie (French), Ali (Arabic, similar meaning).
Yes, very popular — Eli ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Eli ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Eli's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #363 in 2011 to #255 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 4 notable people named Eli are in our database, including Eli Wallach (Actor), Eli Whitney (Politician), Eli Roth (Actor).
Yes — at least 2 celebrity couples have chosen Eli for their child, including Sally Field.