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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Ascended, one who rises high
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- EE-ly
Eli is a Hebrew boy's name with a meaning of 'ascended' or 'one who rises high,' pronounced EE-ly. You'll often see it described as short for Elijah or Elias, meaning 'my God is Yahweh' — but that's not accurate; Eli's own root traces to the Hebrew word for 'ascent,' even though it's commonly used as a nickname for those longer names.
Meaning & Origin of Eli
Meaning: Ascended, one who rises high.
Origin: Hebrew.
A common claim: Eli is often assumed to mean 'my God is Yahweh', as a short form of Elijah/Elias. Actually: Eli's own attested root is Hebrew for 'ascent' ('one who rises high'); it isn't actually a contraction of Elijah or Elias, even though it's commonly used that way.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Eli
EE-lyIPA /ˈiːlaɪ/
Popularity of Eli
Eli peaked at #43 in 2012 with 8,076 babies given the name, and has since settled to #92 in 2024 with 3,723 — still a well-used name, just past its high point.
Names Like Eli
These names share Eli’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Eli mean?
Ascended, one who rises high. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Eli?
Eli is pronounced EE-ly (IPA: /ˈiːlaɪ/).
Is Eli a popular name right now?
Eli peaked at #43 in 2012 and is ranked #92 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
Make Eli Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Eli, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Eli? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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