| Eli | Asher | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ascended, high | happy, blessed |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EE-ly | AH-sher |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2012 (8,079) | 2022 (8,418) |
| In 2025 | 3,418 | 7,456 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eli | Asher |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26,169 | 47,998 |
| 2010s | 69,900 | 48,557 |
| 2000s | 28,043 | 11,125 |
| 1990s | 8,562 | 1,705 |
| 1980s | 5,455 | 787 |
| 1970s | 3,610 | 315 |
| 1960s | 1,323 | 121 |
| 1950s | 1,346 | 100 |
| 1940s | 1,288 | 103 |
| 1930s | 1,592 | 114 |
| 1920s | 2,520 | 152 |
| 1910s | 1,991 | 108 |
| 1900s | 483 | 0 |
| 1890s | 492 | 11 |
| 1880s | 721 | 31 |
From the Hebrew, “ascended” or “high.” Eli is a priest in the Book of Samuel.
From the Hebrew root a-sh-r and the noun osher, 'happiness, good fortune, blessedness.' In Genesis 30:13 the name is introduced with Leah's exclamation 'Happy am I!' (be'oshri) — a biblical wordplay, though the link to the root 'to be happy/fortunate' is also sound linguistically.
Asher is more popular than Eli today: about 7,456 US babies were given the name Asher in 2025, compared with 3,418 named Eli.
Eli means Ascended, high (Hebrew origin), while Asher means happy, blessed (hebrew origin).
In US records, Eli first appears in 1880 and Asher in 1880, so Eli has the longer recorded history.