Eli (name)

Eli (/ˈiːlaɪ/) is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin, from Biblical עֵלִי "ascent", the name of Eli, the high priest in the Books of Samuel. It came to be used as a given name among the Puritans in the 17th century and was by them taken to the American colonies.

Alternatively, Eli may be an unrelated abbreviation of Hebrew names such as Elijah, Elisha, Eliezer, Elimelech, etc., all containing the element אלי, meaning "my God".

In the United States, the popularity of the given name Eli was hovering around rank 200 in the 1880s. It declined gradually during the late 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, falling below rank 700 in 1964. In a significant revival of the name's popularity in the early 1970s, it bounced back above rank 400 in 1976. Its popularity has continued to grow since then, entering the top 100 masculine given names in the 2000s, and ranking as 43rd most popular given name as of 2013.

Eli and Elin are also short forms for the feminine name used in Scandinavia.

Eli in Scandinavia can also been written as Øli og Ellen.

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