Eli is a distinctive girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #3971 in 2022 with 5 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2012 with 10 births ranking #2521. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 25.0%. In 2022, approximately 1 in every 52,704 girls born was named Eli. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Eli is a compact Hebrew biblical name with more than one layer of meaning in tradition, including ideas of height and divine connection. Its simplicity has made it one of the strongest short biblical names in modern use.
The name appears directly in the Bible and also works as a short form for names like Elijah and Elias. That dual role has helped it become both ancient and very contemporary at once.