Ely is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1188 in 2006 with 142 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2009 with 159 births ranking #1149. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 230.2%. In 2006, approximately 1 in every 14,473 boys born was named Ely. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.