Eli: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

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

Eli Manning

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Eli has been consistently popular, jumping from 229 in 2000 to 49 in 2014 before falling slightly to the 62 in 2019. Once a nickname for Elijah, Eli, though not as popular, has made a name for itself in its own right.

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.