Wali
Boy · WAH-lee · Arabic
Wali is a boys' name of Arabic origin, meaning “guardian, friend, saint”. In 2025 it ranked 1,162nd for boys in the UK (27 babies) and 2,421st for boys in the US (56 babies).
What does Wali mean?
Arabic
“guardian, friend, saint”
Al-Wali, the Protecting Friend, is one of the names of God in Islam; a wali is also a holy person or saint.
- Say it
- WAH-lee
Is Wali a girl's or a boy's name?
Wali is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 27 boys in the UK and 56 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Wali in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,162among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 27about 1 in 11,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 27 boys in the UK were named Wali, making it the 1,162nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,412th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 40 boys.
Half of all the boys named Wali in the UK since 1996 were born between 2016 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,093rd in England and Wales.
Wali in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #1,162 |
| 2024 | 21 | #1,355 |
| 2023 | 27 | #1,160 |
| 2022 | 40 | #863 |
| 2021 | 17 | #1,547 |
| 2020 | 19 | #1,412 |
| 2019 | 33 | #970 |
| 2018 | 21 | #1,327 |
| 2017 | 19 | #1,428 |
| 2016 | 26 | #1,163 |
| 2015 | 19 | #1,416 |
| 2014 | 9 | #2,378 |
| 2013 | 7 | #2,792 |
| 2012 | 3 | #4,999 |
| 2011 | 3 | #4,837 |
| 2010 | 5 | #3,478 |
| 2009 | 0 | – |
| 2008 | 7 | #2,616 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 4 | #3,522 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 0 | – |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 3 | #3,021 |
How popular is Wali in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,421among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 56about 1 in 30,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 15% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 56 boys in the US were named Wali, making it the 2,421st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,466th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 65 boys. It first appears in the records in 1951.
2025 had more boys named Wali than any year since 2016.
Half of all the boys named Wali in the US since 1880 were born between 1986 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
Wali in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 | #2,421 |
| 2024 | 36 | #3,270 |
| 2023 | 37 | #3,226 |
| 2022 | 45 | #2,828 |
| 2021 | 39 | #3,073 |
| 2020 | 52 | #2,466 |
| 2019 | 51 | #2,555 |
| 2018 | 49 | #2,578 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2,344 |
| 2016 | 65 | #2,134 |
| 2015 | 39 | #2,965 |
| 2014 | 24 | #4,135 |
| 2013 | 18 | #4,978 |
| 2012 | 17 | #5,250 |
| 2011 | 17 | #5,196 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5,737 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6,432 |
| 2008 | 20 | #4,710 |
| 2007 | 15 | #5,658 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4,101 |
| 2005 | 18 | #4,626 |
| 2004 | 13 | #5,807 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4,611 |
| 2002 | 16 | #4,697 |
| 2001 | 16 | #4,670 |
| 2000 | 9 | #6,832 |
| 1999 | 9 | #6,524 |
| 1998 | 16 | #4,193 |
| 1997 | 11 | #5,282 |
| 1996 | 11 | #5,180 |
| 1995 | 12 | #4,785 |
| 1994 | 10 | #5,446 |
| 1993 | 7 | #6,809 |
| 1992 | 18 | #3,452 |
| 1991 | 10 | #5,088 |
| 1990 | 12 | #4,401 |
| 1989 | 6 | #6,934 |
| 1988 | 16 | #3,198 |
| 1987 | 17 | #2,938 |
| 1986 | 14 | #3,265 |
| 1985 | 11 | #3,802 |
| 1984 | 16 | #2,823 |
| 1983 | 17 | #2,675 |
| 1982 | 19 | #2,517 |
| 1981 | 14 | #3,028 |
| 1980 | 17 | #2,728 |
| 1979 | 18 | #2,567 |
| 1978 | 27 | #1,870 |
| 1977 | 25 | #1,948 |
| 1976 | 36 | #1,501 |
| 1975 | 37 | #1,455 |
| 1974 | 6 | #4,632 |
| 1973 | 12 | #2,855 |
| 1972 | 11 | #2,989 |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 5 | #4,403 |
| 1968 | 6 | #3,672 |
| 1967 | 7 | #3,229 |
| 1966 | 6 | #3,535 |
| 1965 | 9 | #2,778 |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 5 | #3,712 |
Names like Wali
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Muhammad Musa Ahmed Abdullah Rafi Umar Mustafa Hamza Amir Zayd Zayan Zayaan
Names related to Wali
More Arabic names
Layla Mohammed Lyla Mohammad Zara Aaliyah Amira Fatima Yahya Zayn Aisha Omar Zahra Kairo Safa Liyana