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