NameCensus.

UK name, mostly boys

Ali

A masculine Arabic name meaning "high" or "exalted".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Ali is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Ali popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #106, with 500 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 500 births.

This profile covers 11,353 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

Ali is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 11,993 living people in the UK are called Ali. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Ali ranked #106 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 500 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2024, when 500 boys were registered as Ali.
  • Ali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #189 in 2024.
  • About 11,993 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ali as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.8% of Ali registrations are for boys.

Latest rank (E&W)

#106

2024

Births in 2024

500

Latest year

Peak year

2024

500 births

Estimated living

11,993

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Ali

In England and Wales birth records, Ali has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 99.8% of registrations are for boys and 0.2% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

100% boys
Boys11,353 (99.8%)Girls22 (0.2%)

Ali registered for boys

  • Ranked #106 in 2024
  • 500 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2024 (500 births)

Ali registered for girls

  • Ranked #5,891 in 2024
  • 3 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2014 (4 births)

Meaning

What does Ali mean?

The name Ali has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word 'Ali', which means 'high', 'elevated', or 'sublime'. The name has been in use since ancient times in the Middle East and has a rich history spanning centuries.

Ali is a prominent name in Islamic tradition and is closely associated with Ali ibn Abi Talib (599-661 CE), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He was the first male convert to Islam and is revered as the fourth caliph by Sunni Muslims and the first Imam by Shia Muslims. The name gained widespread popularity among Muslims due to its association with this influential figure in Islamic history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ali can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The name appears multiple times, referring to both Ali ibn Abi Talib and other individuals with the same name.

Throughout history, there have been numerous notable individuals who bore the name Ali. Here are five examples:

1. Ali al-Ridha (766-818 CE), the eighth Imam in Twelver Shia Islam and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. 2. Ali ibn Abi Talib (599-661 CE), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and the fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. 3. Ali Pasha (1741-1822), an Ottoman military commander and the founder of modern-day Albania. 4. Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (766-818 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and the eighth Imam in Twelver Shia Islam. 5. Ali al-Hadi (828-868 CE), the tenth Imam in Twelver Shia Islam and a renowned scholar of Islamic jurisprudence.

The name Ali has transcended its Arabic origins and has been adopted by various cultures and communities around the world, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations. It continues to be a popular name, carrying a rich historical and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Ali over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Ali in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Ali, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 500 births in 2024, compared with 500 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
0126252377503199620102024

Decades

Ali by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ali was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #132 2,095 5
2010s #134 4,429 10
2000s #129 3,892 10
1990s #152 937 4

Geography

Where Ali is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Ali. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Ali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #189 in 2024.

Scotland
23
Northern Ireland
7

Across the UK

Ali in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#189 in 2024

46 years of NRS records, 662 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#249 in 2023

15 years of NISRA records, 66 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Ali

  • Ali Orr

    cricketer

    English cricketer

    2001-

  • Ali Smith

    para athletics competitor

    British para athletics competitor

    1998-

  • Ali Loke

    squash player

    Welsh squash player

    1993-

  • Ali Shahalom

    comedian; television producer; television presenter; YouTuber

    English comedian

    1993-

  • Ali Milani

    politician

    British politician (born 1993)

    1993-

  • Ali Douglas

    television presenter; journalist

    British journalist

    1982-

  • Ali Love

    singer; musician

    British singer

    1982-

  • Ali Lee

    actor

    Hong Kong actress

    1982-

Related

Names similar to Ali

FAQ

Ali: questions and answers

How popular is the name Ali in the UK right now?

In 2024, Ali was ranked #106 for boys in England and Wales, with 500 births registered.

When was Ali most popular?

The peak year on record was 2024, with 500 babies registered as Ali in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Ali?

A masculine Arabic name meaning "high" or "exalted".

How many people are called Ali in the UK?

A total of 11,353 babies have been registered as Ali across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 662 more in Scotland and 66 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Ali most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Ali ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #189 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.