Eli
Girl name · #4079 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Eli? In official American birth records, Eli has been tracked continuously since 1916, giving it 109 years of documented American history.
Eli is currently the #4079 girl name in the United States — 35 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4981, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 51,429 girls born in 2025 was named Eli.
The 109-year story
Eli first appears in the Social Security records in 1916, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 44 babies and a rank of #3516. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Eli per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Eli against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Eli in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Eli is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Eli will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Eli is most common
State-level data for Eli is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Eli
Statistically, parents drawn to Eli tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Noeli, Angeli, Kareli, Janeli, and Esli.
NoeliAngeliKareliJaneliEsliAmeliNyeliAnyeli
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Eli | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #4067 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3516 |
| 2023 | 29 | #4655 |
| 2022 | 41 | #3703 |
| 2021 | 29 | #4607 |
| 2020 | 29 | #4548 |
| 2019 | 33 | #4260 |
| 2018 | 38 | #3853 |
| 2017 | 23 | #5517 |
| 2016 | 33 | #4345 |
| 2015 | 27 | #4981 |
| 2014 | 22 | #5797 |
| 2013 | 36 | #4076 |
| 2012 | 31 | #4601 |
| 2011 | 39 | #3843 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4608 |
| 2009 | 30 | #4805 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 20 | #6552 |
| 2006 | 22 | #5906 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6528 |
| 2004 | 42 | #3490 |
| 2003 | 16 | #6885 |
| 2002 | 18 | #6129 |
| 2001 | 21 | #5364 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Eli?
In official American birth records, the name Eli first appeared in 1916 (over 109 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 109 years.
Is Eli a popular girl name?
Eli ranked #4079 among girls in 2025 with 35 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4981.
When was the name Eli most popular?
Eli peaked in 2024, when 44 American girls received the name (ranked #3516 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Eli?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 51,429 newborn American girls was named Eli. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.