Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Ali

Say it AH-lee 2 syllables

Arabic · “high, exalted”

Common in France, Israel, Ontario, and 12 more places. Rare across the UK, Italy, Poland, and 9 more places.

1 in 542 boys born in England and Wales in 2025. Number 103 there.

Ali in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 15, rare in 14.
Ali in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales103 (up)20255021 in 5421412020
Scotland132 (up)2025341 in 5782042020
Northern Ireland395 (down)202531 in 2,7613342020
Ireland188 (up)2025251 in 9493422020
North America
Ontario (province)48 (up)2024210about 1 in 285732019
Quebec (province)76 (up)202592about 1 in 316922020
British Columbia (province)203 (up)202317about 1 in 7662102018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)58 (up)2025132632020
Victoria (state)47 (up)2025133862020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)100 (new in the list)202519Not listed2020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Western Europe
France73 (up)20258101 in 374882020
Netherlands175 (down)202595about 1 in 7001402020
Central Europe
Austria69 (up)20251061 in 359962020
Switzerland127 (up)2025561 in 6431602020
Berlin (city)21 (up)202392about 1 in 169272018
Munich (city)73 (up)202517about 1 in 257772020
Cologne (city)87 (down)202315about 1 in 425282018
Bonn (city)148 (down)20254about 1 in 7921042020
Leipzig (city)127 (down)20254about 1 in 7191092020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list20252122020
Nordic countries
Norway136 (up)2025421 in 5541382020
Sweden90 (up)2025125about 1 in 345962020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)1322025331 in 6271322020
Italy183 (down)20241091 in 1,7371782019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland270 (up)2025171 in 7,4363022020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia52 (up)202538about 1 in 1901102020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city) (published as Али)44 (new in the list)2025307Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
Turkey22 (down)20252,341112020
Israel (published as עלי)35 (up)2024508about 1 in 168402019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Moscow publishes names in Cyrillic script; the original is shown beside the name. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Ali comes from the Arabic ʕaliyy, 'high, exalted'. It is a cognate of the Hebrew name Eli.

2 more paragraphs

It has two syllables, AH-lee, and a short, bright sound.

Ali is popular in Turkey, Israel and Slovenia and holds a place in Victoria, Ontario and New South Wales. French records show a long history, going back to the start of the records, and the name is at its peak right now. It is rising in more places than it is falling, so this short, classic Arabic name continues to grow in popularity across many countries.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
AH-lee · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“high, exalted”
Origin
Arabic
Related names
Eli, Alison, Alistair, Aly, Aliou, Arli, Alis, Əli, Cali
Where Ali comes from (Wiktionary)

From Arabic عَلِيّ (ʕaliyy, literally “high, exalted”), from the Arabic root ع ل ي (ʕ l y).

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Ali. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ali over time

Rising in 7 of the 24 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 4. Peak in France: 2025.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Ali in England and Wales: #157 in 1996, rising to a peak of #103 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #157, 218 boys1997: #155, 222 boys1998: #162, 209 boys1999: #133, 288 boys2000: #137, 276 boys2001: #133, 320 boys2002: #123, 377 boys2003: #133, 354 boys2004: #124, 424 boys2005: #130, 397 boys2006: #131, 410 boys2007: #123, 441 boys2008: #129, 436 boys2009: #128, 457 boys2010: #129, 484 boys2011: #144, 417 boys2012: #139, 440 boys2013: #137, 428 boys2014: #132, 458 boys2015: #137, 425 boys2016: #133, 452 boys2017: #130, 453 boys2018: #133, 428 boys2019: #128, 444 boys2020: #141, 396 boys2021: #141, 399 boys2022: #144, 384 boys2023: #129, 416 boys2024: #106, 500 boys2025: #103, 502 boys#157 in 1996#103in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996157218
1997155222
1998162209
1999133288
2000137276
2001133320
2002123377
2003133354
2004124424
2005130397
2006131410
2007123441
2008129436
2009128457
2010129484
2011144417
2012139440
2013137428
2014132458
2015137425
2016133452
2017130453
2018133428
2019128444
2020141396
2021141399
2022144384
2023129416
2024106500
2025103502

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Ali in France since 1925 were born in or after 1998. Peak: 2025, about 268 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 2.9 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 5.4 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 6.7 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 7.4 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 19.2 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 31.8 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 45.8 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 67.9 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 85.4 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 84.3 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 95 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 102.7 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 87.2 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 79.9 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 70.7 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 91.8 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 110.7 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 139.5 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 204 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 238 per 100,000 boys20202025: 267.6 per 100,000 boys20252025: about 1 in 374 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19292.9
1930–19345.4
1935–19396.7
1940–19447.4
1945–194919.2
1950–195431.8
1955–195945.8
1960–196467.9
1965–196985.4
1970–197484.3
1975–197995
1980–1984102.7
1985–198987.2
1990–199479.9
1995–199970.7
2000–200491.8
2005–2009110.7
2010–2014139.5
2015–2019204
2020–2024238
2025267.6

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Ali

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Ali, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 231, Switzerland

  2. 1 in 819, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 169, France

  4. 1 in 913, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 906, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 1,619, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 706, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 372, England and Wales

  9. 1 in 1,187, England and Wales

  10. 1 in 1,424, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Ali

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Ali's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 50, Ireland

  2. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  3. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 62, Poland

  5. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  6. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 137, Scotland

  8. 1 in 224, Northern Ireland

Full-name check

Ali Jack

Syllables 2-1Initials A.J.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Ali

Sisters for Ali: Sarah, Leila, Amira, and 5 more
  1. SarahRose and fell with Ali · Same generation as Ali
  2. LeilaRose and fell with Ali · Same generation as Ali
  3. AmiraRose and fell with Ali · As common as Ali · Same initial as Ali
  4. AminaRose and fell with Ali · Arabic, like Ali · Same initial as Ali
  5. MinaRose and fell with Ali · Arabic, like Ali
  6. FatimaRose and fell with Ali · As common as Ali
  7. ZahraRose and fell with Ali · Arabic, like Ali
  8. MaryamRose and fell with Ali · As common as Ali

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Ali

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Ali's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 10 more places.

  2. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

  3. Rare in Italy, Poland, Sweden, and 12 more places.

  4. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 13 more places.

  5. Common in England and Wales, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places.

  6. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 7 more places.

  7. Rare in all 24 places we hold figures for.

  8. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 17 more places.

Famous people named Ali

Ali Khamenei, Ali, and 6 more
  • Ali Khamenei 1939 to 2026

    Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 to 2026

  • Ali 599 to 661

    4th Rashidun Caliph (r. 656–661) and first Shia Imam

  • Ali Bongo born 1959

    President of Gabon

  • Ali-Shir Nava'i 1441 to 1501

    Turkic poet and politician

  • Ali al-Sajjad 659 to 713

    Great-grandson of Muhammad and the fourth of the Shiite Imams

  • Ali Larijani 1958 to 2026

    Iranian politician and military officer

  • Ali al-Rida 770 to 818

    Eighth of the Twelve Shia Imams

  • Ali Shariati 1933 to 1977

    Iranian writer, scholar of Islam, and political activist

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Ali

How popular is Ali in Victoria?

Ali ranked #47 in Victoria in 2025, given to 133 boys.

Is Ali rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 7 of the 24 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 4. Rising in: Ireland, Victoria, Scotland, England and Wales, Slovenia, and 2 other regions.

What does Ali mean?

Ali means “high, exalted”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Ali have?

Ali has 2 syllables: AH-lee.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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