Eli
Meaning of Eli
Eli is a Hebrew name, generally derived from a word meaning ascended or high. In the Hebrew Bible, Eli is the priest and judge of Shiloh who mentors the young Samuel. The name is therefore long established in Jewish and Christian use. A similar Hebrew word, eli, means my God, as in the biblical cry Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani; some popular sources give that as the meaning, but the usual dictionary derivation is ascended or high. English speakers pronounce it EE-lie, the same in American and British usage.
Among its best-known American namesakes are Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, and Eli Manning, the New York Giants quarterback who won two Super Bowls.
In the United States, Eli ranked 104th in 2025, when 3,418 boys received the name. It reached its highest rank of 43rd in 2012 and 2013, and 8,079 boys were named Eli in 2012. The name climbed sharply in the late 2000s and early 2010s and has since declined to its current position. It remains a familiar boy’s name.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as EE-lie (/ˈiːlaɪ/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Eli
| Eli Manning - Elisha Nelson Manning is an American former quarterback from the Manning family who won the Maxwell and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards at Ole Miss, was drafted first overall in 2004, and played 16 seasons with the New York Giants after a draft day trade. |
| Eli Lilly Jr. was an American pharmaceutical industrialist and philanthropist who led Eli Lilly and Company and helped make it a modern industry leader. |
| Eli Lilly was a Union Army officer turned pharmacist, chemist, and businessman who founded Eli Lilly and Company. |
| Eli Roth is an American filmmaker and actor best known for directing and producing horror splatter films like Cabin Fever and Hostel. |
| Eli Broad was an American businessman and philanthropist, a Forbes-ranked billionaire who championed K-12 charter school reform and generously supported science, medicine, and the arts. |
| Eli Whitney Jr., inventor of the cotton gin, reshaped the cotton economy and bolstered slavery, lost profits in patent suits, and later made muskets for the U.S. Army until his death in 1825. |
| Eli Cohen - Eliyahu Ben Shaul Cohen was an Egyptian born Israeli spy who operated in Syria from 1961 to 1965 and developed close ties with its political and military leaders. |
| Eli Ostreicher was a British-born American entrepreneur in New York, founder and CEO of GTTFP Holdings, which topped the Inc. 500 and grew from luxury air travel into 11 brands including Regal Wings, The Regal Card, and Regal Jets. |
| Eli Tomac is an American Motocross and Supercross star, a multi-time AMA champion who ranks second all-time in 450 Supercross wins and third in 450 Motocross wins. |
