Ali (Arabic: علي, ʿAlī) is a male Arabic name derived from the Arabic root ʕ-l-w, which literally means "high", "elevated" or "champion".[1] Islamic traditional use of the name goes back to the Islamic leader Ali ibn Abi Talib but the name is also present among some pre-Islamic Arabs (e.g. Banu Hanifa, some rulers of Saba and Himyar) and identical in form and meaning to the Hebrew: עֵלִי, Eli, which goes back to the High Priest Eli in the biblical Books of Samuel. The pronunciation of the name is [ ah-lee, ah-leefor 1-4; ah-leefor 5 ]. [2] This name was ranked #339 on the US Popular Names in 2021. [3]
The name Ali also arises in other traditions. Among English-speakers as short for male and female names starting with "Al-" such as Alice, Alison, Alisha, Alistair, Alexander, or Alexandra. In Old Norse, Áli and Åle are alternate forms of Onela. Ali is also a Finnish male given name, derived from Aleksanteri. [4]
It is also a relatively popular name in English, ranking #339 in 2021 and is more commonly used in the language male.[1]