Ali (/ˈɑːli/ or /ˈæli/; Arabic: علي, romanizedʿAlī) is a common unisex (originally male) name.

Ali
Calligraphic seal featuring Caliph Ali's name, on display in the Hagia Sophia
PronunciationArabic: [ˈʕalijj]
Persian: [ʔæˈliː]
Turkish: [aˈli]
Urdu: [ʔəˈliː]
GenderMale or Female
Language(s)Arabic (source), Amharic, Azerbaijani, Bashkir, Bengali, Indonesian, Pashto, Persian, Somali, Swahili, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Urdu, Uzbek, etc.
Origin
Word/nameArabic
Meaningeminent, high, exalted, noble
Region of originArabia
Other names
Variant form(s)Ally, Aly, Alli, Alley, Allie, Aliy, Aliyy, Alee

Ali is derived from the Arabic triconsonantal root ʕ-l-w, which literally means "high", "elevated", "champion", ”king of kings”, ”emperor”, and is used as both a given name and surname. Islamic traditional use of the name goes back to the Islamic leader Ali ibn Abi Talib, but the name is also present among some pre-Islamic Arabs (e.g. Banu Hanifa, and some rulers of Saba and Himyar). It is identical in form and meaning to the Hebrew: עֵלִי, Eli, which goes back to the High Priest Eli in the biblical Books of Samuel.

The Ali surname is especially common in Arab countries and the rest of the Muslim world.[1]

Ali is the most common last name in Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Kuwait and Libya.[2] The last name can also be found among the Indian Muslim and Pakistani communities, as it is often associated with the descendants of Ali in these regions.[3]

The name Ali is also used in various other cultures as a given name. Among English speakers it is used as a short form of male or female names starting with "Ali", such as Alice, Alison, Alisha, Alistair, Alexander, or Alexandra. In Old Norse, Áli and Åle are alternative forms of Onela. Ali is a Finnish male given name, derived from Aleksanteri.[4]

Islam

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Given male name

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Arts and entertainment

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Sports

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Others

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Given female name

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Arts and entertainment

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Sports

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Others

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Middle name

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Surname

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Arts and entertainment

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Sports

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  • Abdulaziz Ali (born 1980), Qatari footballer
  • Ahmed Ali , Emirati football player
  • Ahmad Ismail Ali (born 1917), Commander-in-Chief of Egypt's army
  • Almoez Ali (born 1996), Qatari international footballer of Sudanese descent
  • Awais Ali (born 2005), Pakistani cricketer
  • Hamdi Ali (born 1997), Qatari high jumper
  • Hameen Ali (born 1977), American football player
  • Hyder Ali (born 1720), the Sultan and de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India
  • Imtiaz Ali (born 1954), West Indian cricketer
  • Imtiaz Ali, Trinidadian cricketer
  • Josh Ali (born 1999), American football player
  • Jusif Ali (born 2000), Finnish footballer
  • Khalid Ali, Emirati football defender
  • Laila Ali (born 1977), American television personality and former professional boxer, daughter of Muhammad Ali
  • Meral Yıldız Ali (born 1987), Romanian-Turkish female table tennis player
  • Moeen Ali (born 1987), English cricketer
  • Muhammad Ali (1942–2016; born Cassius Clay), American boxer, activist and philanthropist
  • Mukhtar Ali, Saudi Arabian professional footballer
  • Mohamed Ali (born 1992), Indian professional footballer
  • Nur Ali (born 1974), Pakistani-American racing driver
  • Rahaman Ali (born 1943; born Rudolph Arnett Clay, later rechristened to Rudolph Valentino), American boxer, brother of Muhammad Ali
  • Rasheen Ali (born 2001), American football player
  • Veronica Porché Ali, American psychologist and the former wife of boxer Muhammad Ali

Others

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Derived names

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Male

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Female

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Umm Ali

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Mononyms

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Stage name or pseudonym

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Fictional characters

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  • Ali (character), a Chinese cartoon character
  • Ali (House), a character in the television series House
  • Ali Baba, a character in the folk tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
  • Ali Bombay, a character in the television series M.A.S.K.
  • Ali Osman, a character in the soap opera EastEnders
  • Ali Al-Saachez, a character in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam 00

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Here Are Some Of The Most Common Surnames Around The World". thoughtco.
  2. ^ ">ALI Surname Meaning, Origin and Family History". babbel.com.
  3. ^ ">ali Surname Origin & History". nomorigine.com.
  4. ^ Kustaa Vilkuna, Marketta Huitu and Pirjo Mikkonen. Etunimet, published in Joka kodin suuri nimikirja. Suuri Suomalainen Kirjakerho, 1990.