Given name & surname
Uri
“my light; light of the Lord”
Uri is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “my light; light of the Lord.”
Original Hebrewאורי
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “my light; light of the Lord.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Uri is used as a form of Uriah.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Uri is a form of Uriah. The history of Uriah gives this family its wider story. Uriah appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Uri appears in Exodus 31:2, 1 Chronicles 2:20, Ezra 10:24.
- Exodus 31:2
- 1 Chronicles 2:20
- Ezra 10:24
From biblical name research
Uri through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,395
- 1,255 boys · 140 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 71 babies
- 2025
- 42
- #2,984 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +27%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,984 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 50.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,823 as a first name in 2020; 186 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.
Uri’s family of names
Uri is a form of Uriah. Uri has a related form in Uriah. Uri has a related form in Urie.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 9
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Aaronshares a root
- Urielsee also
- Yurisee also
- Nileshares a root
- Jairusshares a root
- Urijahshares a root
- Shedeurshares a root
- Urshares a root
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People named Uri
- Uri GellerIsraeli illusionistborn 1946
- Urie BronfenbrennerRussian American developmental psychologist (1917–2005)
- Uri AvneryIsraeli politician, journalist and author (1923-2018)
- Uri OrlevPolish-Israeli children's writer (1929–2022)1931–2022
- Uri Zvi GreenbergIsraeli poet (1896-1981)
- Uri LupolianskiIsraeli politician1951–2026
- Uri CaineAmerican pianist and composer (born 1956)
- Uri ArielIsraeli politicianborn 1952
- Uri ZoharIsraeli film director1935–2022
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Uri, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ananias
“Yah has been gracious” · “graciously given of Yah”
>99% boys
Mordecai
“devotee of the god Marduk” · “a servant of Marduk, a Babylonian god”
>99% boys
Ozias
“power of Yah” · “Yah is strong”
>99% boys
Eleazar
“God will help”
>99% boys
Asa
“doctor, healer” · “born in the morning”
89% boys · 11% girls
Barnabas
“son of consolation” · “the son of the prophet; the son of encouragement”
>99% boys
Judah
“praised” · “one who praises God”
98% boys · 2% girls
Elnathan
“God has given”
>99% boys