Ali
Arabic ali, meaning high or exalted, one of the attributes of God in Islam. It was borne by the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, the fourth caliph.
Ali in 2025
Ali was given to 1,160 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 571st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,858 babies born.
The history of Ali
Ali reached its highest point in 2014, when 1,251 babies were given the name, ranking 559th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 547th, in 2010.
Across the 112 years of records since 1914, 44,888 babies have been named Ali. Half of them were born before 2006, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Ali by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ali | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | 6,223 |
| 1920s | 23 | 6,572 |
| 1930s | 50 | 5,250 |
| 1940s | 65 | 4,573 |
| 1950s | 166 | 3,671 |
| 1960s | 428 | 2,096 |
| 1970s | 2,519 | 892 |
| 1980s | 4,437 | 743 |
| 1990s | 8,067 | 621 |
| 2000s | 10,164 | 581 |
| 2010s | 12,144 | 547 |
| 2020s | 6,820 | 557 |
Where Ali is heading
Ali has fallen 7% over the past decade, from 1,251 babies in 2015 to 1,160 in 2025.
Names like Ali
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ali.