| Eli | Seth | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ascended, high | appointed, placed |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EE-ly | SETH |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2012 (8,079) | 2000 (6,717) |
| In 2025 | 3,418 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Eli | Seth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26,169 | 3,548 |
| 2010s | 69,900 | 14,671 |
| 2000s | 28,043 | 48,161 |
| 1990s | 8,562 | 42,213 |
| 1980s | 5,455 | 31,129 |
| 1970s | 3,610 | 16,584 |
| 1960s | 1,323 | 3,787 |
| 1950s | 1,346 | 2,101 |
| 1940s | 1,288 | 852 |
| 1930s | 1,592 | 612 |
| 1920s | 2,520 | 874 |
| 1910s | 1,991 | 642 |
| 1900s | 483 | 181 |
| 1890s | 492 | 168 |
| 1880s | 721 | 270 |
From the Hebrew, “ascended” or “high.” Eli is a priest in the Book of Samuel.
From Hebrew Shet, tied to the verb shat, 'to set, place, appoint.' Genesis 4:25 explains it through Eve's words 'God has appointed (shat) for me another child' — a biblical wordplay that is consistent with the underlying root.
Eli is more popular than Seth today: about 3,418 US babies were given the name Eli in 2025, compared with 0 named Seth.
Eli means Ascended, high (Hebrew origin), while Seth means appointed, placed (hebrew origin).
In US records, Eli first appears in 1880 and Seth in 0, so Seth has the longer recorded history.