Ali
Ali is a common unisex given name and surname of multiple origins.
Meaning & Origin of Ali
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ali is a common unisex given name and surname of multiple origins.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ali
As a girl name
Ali first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1960, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2011, when 391 Alis were born — ranking #710 that year. As of 2026, Ali ranks #2,643 for girls with 65 births, falling sharply (-34%). In total, more than 11K Alis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ali first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 1,124 Alis were born — ranking #300 that year. As of 2026, Ali ranks #311 for boys with 1,097 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 35K Alis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ali
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ali is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ali
What does the name Ali mean?
How popular is Ali in 2026?
When was Ali most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ali most popular?
Is Ali a unisex name?
What names go well with Ali?
About the name Ali
Ali is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 35K births in the dataset. Ali's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #300. Use the chart and map above to compare Ali's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.