NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Bali

Balinese name meaning "offering" or "sacrifice" in Sanskrit.

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.

Bali is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bali popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 7 births.

This profile covers 46 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 1998 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.

The latest count is about 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 49 living people in the UK are called Bali. 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

  • Bali ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2019, when 7 girls were registered as Bali.
  • Bali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
  • About 49 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bali as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2019

7 births

Estimated living

49

2026

Meaning

What does Bali mean?

The name Bali finds its origins in Sanskrit, the classical language of ancient India. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "vali," which means "sacrifice" or "offering." The name is closely associated with the island of Bali in Indonesia, which was heavily influenced by Hindu culture and traditions.

In Hindu mythology, Bali was the name of an Asura king, known for his generosity and devotion to the gods. He is celebrated in the Bhagavata Purana, a revered Hindu scripture, for his willingness to sacrifice everything for the sake of upholding dharma (righteousness).

The earliest recorded use of the name Bali can be traced back to the 7th century CE, when it was mentioned in ancient Balinese inscriptions and literary works. It gained popularity among Hindus, particularly in the Indonesian archipelago, where it became a common name for boys.

One of the most notable historical figures with the name Bali was Bali Sah, a 16th-century ruler of the Kalinga Empire in present-day Odisha, India. He was known for his military prowess and for expanding the empire's territories.

Another prominent figure was Bali Reddy, a 17th-century Indian ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, who was renowned for his administrative skills and patronage of the arts.

In the realm of literature, Bali Nath Bhushan was a celebrated 19th-century Hindi poet and writer from India, known for his works that celebrated the beauty of nature and human emotions.

The name Bali also found its way into the Islamic world, where it was adopted by several notable figures. Bali ibn Rabah al-Qushayri was a 9th-century Islamic scholar and theologian from present-day Iran, known for his contributions to the study of Sufism.

Another significant figure was Bali Efendi, a 16th-century Ottoman statesman and Grand Vizier, who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Bali over time

The chart below shows babies named Bali registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 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 Bali, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Bali
02457199820112024

Decades

Bali by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bali 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 #4251 24 5
2010s #3978 16 3
2000s #5556 3 1
1990s #3848 3 1

Geography

Where Bali is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bali. 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.

Bali ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Bali in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#790 in 2024

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Bali

  • Bali Rai

    children's writer; writer

    English book writer

    1971-

  • Bali Padda

    businessperson

    british-Indian businessman (born 1956)

    1956-

Related

Names similar to Bali

FAQ

Bali: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Bali was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Bali most popular?

The peak year on record was 2019, with 7 babies registered as Bali in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Bali?

Balinese name meaning "offering" or "sacrifice" in Sanskrit.

How many people are called Bali in the UK?

A total of 46 babies have been registered as Bali across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Bali most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Bali ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 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.