Ali
Boy · a-LEE · Arabic
Ali is a boys' name of Arabic origin, meaning “high, exalted”. In 2025 it ranked 108th for boys in the UK (539 babies) and 306th for boys in the US (1,116 babies).
What does Ali mean?
Arabic
“high, exalted”
Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, was the fourth caliph and first Shia imam.
- Say it
- a-LEE
More on Wiktionary.
Is Ali a girl's or a boy's name?
Ali is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 539 boys in the UK and 44 girls and 1,116 boys in the US.
How popular is Ali in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #108among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 539about 1 in 560 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 12% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.5%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 539 boys in the UK were named Ali, making it the 108th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 148th.
It has been given to more boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had the most boys named Ali of any year since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Ali in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 103rd in England and Wales, 132nd in Scotland and 395th in Northern Ireland.
Ali in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 539 | #108 |
| 2024 | 523 | #112 |
| 2023 | 439 | #139 |
| 2022 | 406 | #150 |
| 2021 | 420 | #152 |
| 2020 | 421 | #148 |
| 2019 | 467 | #139 |
| 2018 | 448 | #146 |
| 2017 | 484 | #135 |
| 2016 | 468 | #142 |
| 2015 | 452 | #148 |
| 2014 | 479 | #139 |
| 2013 | 444 | #149 |
| 2012 | 461 | #145 |
| 2011 | 437 | #152 |
| 2010 | 518 | #134 |
| 2009 | 483 | #138 |
| 2008 | 465 | #139 |
| 2007 | 463 | #137 |
| 2006 | 434 | #139 |
| 2005 | 412 | #143 |
| 2004 | 446 | #133 |
| 2003 | 382 | #142 |
| 2002 | 397 | #135 |
| 2001 | 339 | #139 |
| 2000 | 293 | #144 |
| 1999 | 298 | #141 |
| 1998 | 221 | #174 |
| 1997 | 230 | #172 |
| 1996 | 225 | #162 |
How popular is Ali in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #306among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,116about 1 in 1,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 2% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,116 boys in the US were named Ali, making it the 306th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 324th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 1,124 boys. It first appears in the records in 1914. 44 girls were also named Ali in 2025 (3,458th for girls).
Half of all the boys named Ali in the US since 1880 were born between 1997 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 4% of the babies named Ali in the US were girls.
Ali in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,116 | #306 |
| 2024 | 1,066 | #323 |
| 2023 | 1,066 | #311 |
| 2022 | 1,124 | #301 |
| 2021 | 958 | #339 |
| 2020 | 1,017 | #324 |
| 2019 | 1,069 | #314 |
| 2018 | 1,094 | #310 |
| 2017 | 1,116 | #310 |
| 2016 | 1,087 | #322 |
| 2015 | 1,061 | #325 |
| 2014 | 1,011 | #334 |
| 2013 | 902 | #351 |
| 2012 | 872 | #352 |
| 2011 | 803 | #372 |
| 2010 | 850 | #357 |
| 2009 | 818 | #371 |
| 2008 | 742 | #398 |
| 2007 | 783 | #386 |
| 2006 | 827 | #359 |
| 2005 | 760 | #380 |
| 2004 | 726 | #379 |
| 2003 | 810 | #344 |
| 2002 | 870 | #319 |
| 2001 | 715 | #373 |
| 2000 | 684 | #380 |
| 1999 | 650 | #391 |
| 1998 | 622 | #394 |
| 1997 | 591 | #397 |
| 1996 | 528 | #426 |
| 1995 | 517 | #442 |
| 1994 | 478 | #460 |
| 1993 | 443 | #475 |
| 1992 | 447 | #477 |
| 1991 | 424 | #479 |
| 1990 | 440 | #471 |
| 1989 | 385 | #487 |
| 1988 | 333 | #501 |
| 1987 | 308 | #512 |
| 1986 | 286 | #525 |
| 1985 | 283 | #519 |
| 1984 | 263 | #529 |
| 1983 | 237 | #545 |
| 1982 | 265 | #524 |
| 1981 | 237 | #550 |
| 1980 | 249 | #545 |
| 1979 | 318 | #455 |
| 1978 | 256 | #510 |
| 1977 | 196 | #603 |
| 1976 | 198 | #577 |
| 1975 | 163 | #633 |
| 1974 | 158 | #641 |
| 1973 | 113 | #753 |
| 1972 | 118 | #732 |
| 1971 | 136 | #707 |
| 1970 | 77 | #910 |
| 1969 | 68 | #920 |
| 1968 | 52 | #1,026 |
| 1967 | 38 | #1,214 |
| 1966 | 35 | #1,281 |
| 1965 | 46 | #1,094 |
| 1964 | 48 | #1,095 |
| 1963 | 35 | #1,317 |
| 1962 | 32 | #1,386 |
| 1961 | 29 | #1,495 |
| 1960 | 25 | #1,618 |
| 1959 | 25 | #1,587 |
| 1958 | 18 | #1,895 |
| 1957 | 15 | #2,092 |
| 1956 | 15 | #2,090 |
| 1955 | 17 | #1,901 |
| 1954 | 20 | #1,705 |
| 1953 | 16 | #1,957 |
| 1952 | 17 | #1,855 |
| 1951 | 9 | #2,660 |
| 1950 | 14 | #2,018 |
| 1949 | 8 | #2,801 |
| 1948 | 5 | #3,665 |
| 1947 | 6 | #3,369 |
| 1946 | 5 | #3,523 |
| 1945 | 7 | #2,742 |
| 1944 | 11 | #2,194 |
| 1943 | 8 | #2,731 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 7 | #2,871 |
| 1940 | 8 | #2,671 |
| 1939 | 6 | #3,112 |
| 1938 | 7 | #2,868 |
| 1937 | 8 | #2,680 |
| 1936 | 5 | #3,548 |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 5 | #3,677 |
| 1933 | 6 | #3,267 |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 6 | #3,389 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,287 |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 6 | #3,695 |
| 1927 | 7 | #3,450 |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,199 |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 5 | #4,345 |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 0 | – |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 0 | – |
| 1916 | 0 | – |
| 1915 | 0 | – |
| 1914 | 5 | #3,263 |
Names like Ali
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Abdul Levi Caleb Grayson Austin Hunter Asher Eli Jonah Lucas Tobias Cooper
Other spellings of Ali
Names related to Ali
More Arabic names
Muhammad Layla Mohammed Lyla Mohammad Zara Aaliyah Amir Amira Fatima Yahya Zayn Aisha Omar Zahra Hamza