Eli

אֵלִי, עֵלִי

• Gender: Male
• Origin: Biblical English
• Meaning: height, uplifted, my God

• Eli is one of those names that holds more than it first lets on. It can come from two different Hebrew roots, one meaning "height" or "uplifted" and the other meaning "my God," and it also works as a natural nickname for longer names like Eliyahu, Eliezer, or Elisha. In Hebrew it is pronounced EL-lee, while in English it becomes EE-lie, giving families a built-in way to signal which world they are drawing from.

  Director and actor Eli Roth, who grew up in a Jewish family in Massachusetts and memorably played 'The Bear Jew' in Inglourious Basterds, shares this strong biblical name. There is a reason this name keeps showing up on every "best of" list. It is short, strong, and sounds exactly right whether you are meeting a five-year-old or shaking hands with a dean. Two letters, one syllable in English, and enough biblical substance to anchor a lifetime — Eli never tries too hard and always lands.

• Potential Sibling Name:
  Maya
  ,
  Tali
  ,
  Ezra
  ,
  Adam
• Theme: God