Ali
Say it: AH-lee/ˈɑːli/
Boy and boyMeans high, exalted3 letters2 syllables
#188
in Ireland (2025)
25
babies in 2025
#183
best rank (2001)
458
babies since 1982
Up 120
10-year rank change
Ali through the years
Compare with another name →boysgirls
Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25 | #188 | 7 | #473 |
| 2024 | 18 | #238 | 10 | #368 |
| 2023 | 15 | #280 | 5 | #612 |
| 2022 | 20 | #233 | 9 | #414 |
| 2021 | 12 | #328 | 19 | #244 |
| 2020 | 12 | #332 | 15 | #275 |
| 2019 | 19 | #241 | 16 | #284 |
| 2018 | 10 | #359 | 7 | #504 |
| 2017 | 19 | #257 | 17 | #272 |
| 2016 | 20 | #245 | 18 | #254 |
| 2015 | 14 | #308 | 16 | #306 |
| 2014 | 15 | #302 | 26 | #204 |
| 2013 | 13 | #317 | 22 | #241 |
| 2012 | 16 | #290 | 32 | #180 |
| 2011 | 14 | #308 | 28 | #203 |
| 2010 | 21 | #252 | 37 | #169 |
| 2009 | 18 | #261 | 42 | #147 |
| 2008 | 18 | #252 | 51 | #126 |
| 2007 | 16 | #247 | 44 | #135 |
| 2006 | 9 | #315 | 45 | #122 |
| 2005 | 14 | #231 | 31 | #148 |
| 2004 | 14 | #214 | 21 | #189 |
| 2003 | 11 | #245 | 20 | #189 |
| 2002 | 16 | #193 | 18 | #208 |
| 2001 | 16 | #183 | 16 | #217 |
| 2000 | 6 | #274 | 19 | #188 |
| 1999 | 7 | #241 | 14 | #227 |
| 1998 | 3 | #369 | 11 | #241 |
| 1997 | 5 | #303 | 11 | #294 |
| 1996 | 4 | #336 | 5 | #429 |
| 1995 | - | - | 3 | #516 |
| 1994 | 3 | #342 | - | - |
| 1993 | 8 | #223 | - | - |
| 1992 | 5 | #267 | - | - |
| 1991 | 8 | #216 | 3 | #515 |
| 1990 | 3 | #323 | - | - |
| 1989 | 3 | #307 | - | - |
| 1986 | 5 | #256 | - | - |
| 1982 | 3 | #330 | - | - |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Ali mean?
High, exalted
Arabic, from a root meaning high or lofty; as a girls' name, a short form of Alison.
Say it right
AHlee
As a girls' name, a short form of Alison, it is usually said AL-ee.
The story of Ali
Ali is really two names that happen to share a spelling. The boys’ name is Arabic, from a word meaning “high” or “exalted”. It is one of the most honoured names in Islam, as the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.
The girls’ name is quite separate. It began as a short form of Alison and its variants, and is said AL-ee rather than AH-lee.
The CSO counts both. For boys, Ali first appears in 1982, and 2025 was its biggest year so far, with 25 boys, though its best rank was number 183 in 2001. For girls it first appears in 1991 and did best in the 2000s: it reached number 122 in 2006, and 51 girls were named Ali in 2008. Only 7 girls were given it in 2025.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Ali (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Ali (name)
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Ali | 25 | 458 |
In Northern Ireland
#395 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #220 (2002); 69 babies since 2000.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Ali is also given to girls: 638 since 1991, 7 in 2025.