Meaning and Origin of: Eli

Boy name origins & meanings

• Greek : Light, variation of Eleanor
• Hebrew : High

What does Eli mean and stand for?

The name Eli is of Hebrew origin and means "ascended, uplifted, high". The name derives from the Hebrew ’aly, meaning “high.”

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• Jewish : from a short form of Elia.

Famous people with this first name

Popularity

Eli is the number sixty-two most popular boys name in the US, according to 2019 Social Security Administration data. It has been consistently popular, jumping from 229 in 2000 to 49 in 2014 before falling slighly to the 62 in 2019.

However, it is the 12th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Eli was at its peak popularity in November 2017.

Eli is a name from the Old Testament; he was the high priest and last judge of Israel and trained the prophet Samuel. The name was once used as a nickname for Eliza, Elijah and others. CNN anchor Campbell Brown and SNL alum Rachel Dratch chose Eli for their sons. It has also been a character name in Freaks and Geeks and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Where is it Popular?

Eli was searched for most often in the following states:

Pairs well with these middle names