| Eli | Nathaniel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ascended, high | God has given |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EE-ly | nə-THAN-yəl |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2012 (8,079) | 2002 (6,813) |
| In 2025 | 3,418 | 2,565 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eli | Nathaniel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26,169 | 16,088 |
| 2010s | 69,900 | 41,890 |
| 2000s | 28,043 | 64,264 |
| 1990s | 8,562 | 52,577 |
| 1980s | 5,455 | 38,652 |
| 1970s | 3,610 | 19,185 |
| 1960s | 1,323 | 10,191 |
| 1950s | 1,346 | 12,389 |
| 1940s | 1,288 | 9,489 |
| 1930s | 1,592 | 7,411 |
| 1920s | 2,520 | 7,794 |
| 1910s | 1,991 | 4,795 |
| 1900s | 483 | 1,143 |
| 1890s | 492 | 684 |
| 1880s | 721 | 551 |
From the Hebrew, “ascended” or “high.” Eli is a priest in the Book of Samuel.
From Hebrew Netan'el, combining natan 'he gave/given' + el 'God' — 'God has given'. A 'gift of God' name expressed as an act: God has given (this child).
Eli is more popular than Nathaniel today: about 3,418 US babies were given the name Eli in 2025, compared with 2,565 named Nathaniel.
Eli means Ascended, high (Hebrew origin), while Nathaniel means God has given (hebrew origin).
In US records, Eli first appears in 1880 and Nathaniel in 1880, so Eli has the longer recorded history.