Ely is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1698 in 1997 with 58 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2009 with 159 births ranking #1149. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 34.9%. In 1997, approximately 1 in every 32,502 boys born was named Ely. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.