Ali is a unisex name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ali means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ali across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ali has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ali is a unisex name of Arabic origin meaning “exalted, noble”. From the Arabic root meaning high, a revered name in Islam.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 44,888 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 11,478 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 722 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 66 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,096 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ali per year, United States (1914 to 2025). United States peaked in 2014 (1,251/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (503/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (69/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2025 (34/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (7/yr).
Ali has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 2014, when it ranked #559 nationally (given to 1,775 babies that year).
Eli · Ayla · Alaia · Aliyah · Allie · Ola · Ila · Ole
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