NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Elyes

An Arabic masculine name meaning "sublime, lofty, or elevated".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Elyes is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Elyes popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 7 births.

This profile covers 23 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2011 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 23 living people in the UK are called Elyes. 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 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Elyes ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2013, when 7 boys were registered as Elyes.
  • About 23 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elyes as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4991

2023

Births in 2023

3

Latest year

Peak year

2013

7 births

Estimated living

23

2026

Meaning

What does Elyes mean?

The name Elyes is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic root word "ʿAlī" meaning "lofty" or "sublime." It is a variant spelling of the more common name Ali, which has been a popular name in the Arab world for centuries.

This name has significant historical and religious relevance in Islamic tradition. It was the name of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, who was also the fourth caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate. Ali is revered by Muslims as one of the most important figures in early Islamic history and is particularly venerated by Shia Muslims.

The earliest recorded use of the name Elyes can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic conquests and the spread of Islam across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe. As the Islamic faith and culture expanded, the name Elyes, along with its variant spellings, became more widely adopted.

One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Elyes was Elyes ibn Mudrik al-Khurasani, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in the 8th century CE. He was known for his expertise in Arabic literature and his contributions to the development of Islamic jurisprudence.

Another notable figure was Elyes ibn Abi Muslim, a prominent military commander who played a significant role in the Abbasid Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate in 750 CE.

In the 12th century, Elyes ibn Yahya al-Jazari, a skilled engineer and inventor from Jazira (modern-day Turkey), gained fame for his innovative work in the field of mechanical engineering, particularly his contributions to the development of water clocks and automata.

During the 14th century, Elyes ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna, was a renowned Persian polymath who made significant contributions to various fields, including philosophy, medicine, and astronomy. His works, such as "The Canon of Medicine," had a lasting impact on the development of Western and Islamic sciences.

In more recent history, Elyes Gabel, a French actor born in 1983, has gained recognition for his roles in films and television shows, including the series "Scorpion" and the movie "Interstellar."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Elyes over time

The chart below shows babies named Elyes registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2011 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Elyes, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Elyes
02457201120172023

Decades

Elyes by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elyes 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 #4991 3 1
2010s #4160 20 5

Related

Names similar to Elyes

FAQ

Elyes: questions and answers

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

In 2023, Elyes was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Elyes most popular?

The peak year on record was 2013, with 7 babies registered as Elyes in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Elyes?

An Arabic masculine name meaning "sublime, lofty, or elevated".

How many people are called Elyes in the UK?

A total of 23 babies have been registered as Elyes across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.