Given name & surname
Ali
“the great one; one who is exalted”
Ali is used as a given name and a surname. One Arabic interpretation is “the great one; one who is exalted.”
Original Arabicعلي
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Arabic interpretation is “the great one; one who is exalted.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Arabic.
How it developed
In English usage, Ali is a diminutive of Alison. In English usage, Ali is a diminutive of Alistair.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Ali is a variant of Alice. The history of Alice gives this family its wider story. Alice returned to wider use in the nineteenth century. Lewis Carroll’s two Alice stories gave it an enduring literary association; his heroine drew inspiration from Alice Liddell.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Ali through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 44,888
- 34,383 boys · 10,505 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 1,251 babies
- 2025
- 1,160
- #306 for boys · #3,463 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −5%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 92% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,116 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 306 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 44 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Michigan had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (157). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 69,302 as a first name in 2020; 84,529 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ali’s family of names
In English usage, Ali is a diminutive of Alison. In English usage, Ali has a feminine form in Alia. Ali has a related form in Alice.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ali has relatives in 24 languages. Lines run from its Arabic roots to each of them.
Arabicwhere Ali comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 7
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 21
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ali
- Ali KhameneiSupreme Leader of Iran from 1989 to 20261939–2026
- Ali4th Rashidun Caliph (r. 656–661) and first Shia Imam599–661
- Ali Abdullah SalehPresident of North Yemen (1978–1990) and Yemen (1990–2012)1947–2017
- Ali BongoPresident of Gabon (2009–2023)born 1959
- Al-Masudi10th-century Arab historian, geographer, and traveller896–957
- Ali-Shir Nava'iTurkic poet and politician (1441–1501)
- Ali LarterAmerican actress and model (born 1976)
- Ali al-SajjadGreat-grandson of Muhammad and the fourth of the Shiite Imams659–713
- Ali LarijaniIranian politician and military officer (1958–2026)
Characters named Ali: Ali G (fictional character created by Sacha Baron Cohen).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Ali, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Omar
“a flourishing man; one who is well-spoken”
>99% boys
Nazım
“arranger, organizer; poet”
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Angelo
“a messenger from God”
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Clark
“a cleric; a clerk”
98% boys · 2% girls
Holden
“one who is willing and eager” · “from the hollow in the valley”
99% boys · 1% girls
Pierce
“as solid and strong as a rock”
96% boys · 4% girls
Julian
Julian is used as a given name and a surname. One Greek interpretation is “the child of Jove; one who is vouthful Julien, Julira.uscant eni Jaun., ilano blyon,.”
>99% boys
Hansel
“God is gracious”
>99% boys