Ali

Origins

In Arabic, 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.

Ali is the most common last name in Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Kuwait and Libya. 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.

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, Alina, 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.

Islam

Ali ibn Abi Talib (601–661), cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the fourth Caliph of Sunni Islam.

Ali ibn Husayn (Zayn al-Abidin) (659–713), grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib,

Ali ibn Musa (ar-Ridha) (766–818), eighth infallible Imam in Shia Islam

Ali ibn Muhammad (al-Hadi) (829–868), tenth infallible Imam in Shia Islam

Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari (838–870), Persian Muslim scholar, physician and psychologist

Ali al-Muktafi (877/78–908), Abbasīd caliph from 902 to 908

Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (658/59–712/14), Imam in Shiʻi Islam

Ali ibn al-Athir (1160–1232/33), 12th- and 13th-century Islamic historian and geographer

Ali bin Hussein, King of Hejaz (1879–1935), second king of Hejaz

Given male name

Arts and entertainment

'Ali Ashraf (1735–1780), Iranian painter

Ali Akbar Navis (1924–2003), Indonesian author

Ali Campbell (born 1959), British singer and member of UB40

Ali Gatie (born 1997), Iraqi-Canadian singer-songwriter

Ali Hassan (born 1972), Indian television actor

Ali Kiba (born 1986), Tanzanian singer and songwriter

Ali Marhyar (born 1984), French actor, film director and screenwriter

Ali Özgentürk (1945–2025), Turkish film director

Ali Rehman Khan (born 1989), Pakistani actor

Ali Saad (actor), Lebanese actor and voice actor

Ali Saleem (born 1979), Pakistani television host

Ali Tutal (1950–2026), Turkish film and television actor

Ali Salem (1936–2015), Egyptian playwright

Ali Shahalom (born 1992), British-Bangladeshi comedian

Ali Shaw (author) (born 1982), British author

Ali Al-Zein (born 1949), Lebanese actor and voice actor

Sports

Ali Adnan Kadhim (born 1993), Iraqi footballer

Ali Alaaeddine (born 1993), Lebanese footballer

Ali Alanç (born 1959), Turkish football manager

Ali Annabi (born 1939), Tunisian fencer

Ali Asfand (born 2004), Pakistani cricketer

Ali Bacher (born 1942), South African cricket batsman and administrator

Ali Daei (born 1969), Iranian footballer

Ali Daher (born 1996), Lebanese footballer

Ali Demić (born 1991), Bosnian basketball player

Ali Dia (born 1965), Senegalese footballer

Ali Badara Dia (born 1941), Guinea footballer

Ali Eren Demirezen (born 1990), Turkish amateur boxer

Ali Fakih (born 1967), Lebanese footballer

Ali Farahat (born 1975), Egyptian chess player

Ali Farokhmanesh (born 1988), American basketball player and coach

Ali Fayad (disambiguation), multiple people

Haydar Hassan Haj Al-Sidig, also known as Ali Gagarin (1949–2025), Sudanese footballer

Ali Gaye (born 1998), American football player

Others

Ali Aaltonen (1884–1918), Finnish Red Guard commander

Ali Abdo, Ethiopian politician

Ali al-Abdallah, Syrian writer and human rights activist

Ali Akdemir (born 1963), Turkish scientist

Ali Al Bukhaiti (born 1976), Yemeni politician, journalist, and writer

Ali Alatas (1932–2008), Indonesian diplomat

Ali Aldabbagh (born 1955), Iraqi engineer and politician

Ali ibn al-Athir (1160–1233), Hadith expert, historian and biographer

Ali Abu Awwad (born 1972), Palestinian pacifist

Ali Babacan (born 1967), Turkish politician

Ali Saeed Badwan (1959–2025), Palestinian writer

Ali Mohammad Besharati (born 1945), Iranian politician

Ali Aref Bourhan (1934–2025), Djiboutian politician

Ali Bozer (1925–2020), Turkish politician

Ali Brownlee (1959–2016), English sportscaster

Ali Çetinkaya (1878–1949), Turkish Army officer

Ali al-Dandachi (1906–2000), Syrian scout leader

Ali Dizaei (born 1962), Anglo-Iranian police officer and criminal

Given female name

Arts and entertainment

Ali Barter (born 1986), Australian singer-songwriter

Ali Bastian (born 1982), English actress

Ali Benjamin, American author

Ali Brown (born 1971), American author

Ali Brustofski (born 1993), American singer

Ali Bryan, Canadian novelist

Ali Caldwell (born 1988), American singer

Ali Cobrin (born 1989), American actress

Ali Cobby Eckermann (born 1963), Australian poet

Ali Ewoldt (born 1982), American theatre actress

Ali Fedotowsky (born 1984), American television presenter

Ali Gass, American curator

Ali Hillis (born 1978), American actress

Ali Kay, American model

Ali Landry (born 1973), American model and actress

Ali Larter (born 1976), American actress

Ali Lee (born 1982), Hong Kong actress

Ali Liebegott (born 1971), American writer

Ali Liebert (born 1981), Canadian actress

Ali Lohan (born 1993), American model and actress

Sports

Ali Bernard (born 1986), American Olympic athlete

Ali Brigginshaw (born 1989), Australian international rugby league player

Ali Frantti (born 1996), American volleyball player

Ali Johnson (born 1998), English footballer

Ali Krieger (born 1984), American soccer player

Ali Loke (born 1993), Welsh squash player

Ali Riley (born 1987), American-born New Zealand soccer player

Ali Viola (born 1976), American softball player

Others

Ali Cupper (born 1980), Australian politician

Ali France (born 1973), Australian politicians

Ali Hewson (born 1961), Irish activist

Ali Hogg (born 1980), Australian activist

Ali Vincent (born 1975), American spokeswoman

Ali Watkins (born 1992), American journalist

Kao Chin Su-mei (Atayal name: Ciwas Ali, born 1965), Taiwanese politician

Middle name

Abbas Ali Khalatbari (1912–1979), Iranian diplomat

Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar (born 1976), Bengali MLA of Assam

Ahmad Ali Sepehr (1889–1976), Iranian historian and politician

Ahmed Ali Enayetpuri (1898–1959), Bengali author and journalist

Ajmal Ali Choudhury (1916–1971), Bengali politician

Akbar Ali Khan (1944–2022), Bangladeshi economist

Golam Ali Chowdhury (1824–1888), Bengali landlord and philanthropist

Güzelce Ali Pasha (died 1621), Ottoman statesman and military figure

Hatem Ali Jamadar (1872–1982), Bengali politician

Janab Ali Majumdar, Bengali politician

Lotf Ali Khan (1769–1794), last Shah of the Zand dynasty, of Persia

Mahbub Ali Khan (1934–1984), Bangladeshi chief of naval staff

Mehmet Ali Birand (1941–2013), Turkish journalist

Mohammad Ali Varasteh (1896–1989), Iranian statesman

Mohammed Ali Qamar, Bengali boxer

Morshed Ali Khan Panni, Bangladeshi politician

Müezzinzade Ali Pasha (died 1571), Ottoman statesman and naval officer

Surname

Arts and entertainment

Aamir Ali (born 1981), Indian television actor

Ahmad Ali (1910–1994), Pakistani writer

Ahmad Ismail Ali (1917–1974), Egyptian army officer

Alauddin Ali (1952–2020), Bangladeshi music composer

Ali (born 1968), Indian film actor

Begum Nawazish Ali (born 1979), Pakistani television host

Egypt Ali, stage name Egypt Speaks (born 1998), American musician

Filiz Ali (born 1937), Turkish pianist

Haysam Ali (born 1988), Brazilian-American actor and entrepreneur

Idris Ali (writer) (1940–2010), Egyptian author

Imtiaz Ali (born 1971), Indian film director

Laylah Ali (born 1968), American visual artist

Mahershala Ali (born 1974), American actor

Maya Ali (born 1989), Pakistani actress

Paula Alí (1938 – 2026), Cuban actress

Shahalom Ali (born 1992), better known as Ali Shahalom, comedian and television presenter

Rashied Ali (1935–2009), American drummer

Sadeq Ali (1800–1862), Bengali poet, writer and judge

Sports

Abdulaziz Ali (born 1980), Qatari footballer

Ahmed Ali (born 1990), Emirati football player

Ahmad Ismail Ali (1917–1974), 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 (1720–1782), the Sultan and de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India

Imtiaz Ali (born 1954), West Indian cricketer

Imtiaz Ali (born 1974), Trinidadian cricketer

Josh Ali (born 1999), American football player

Jusif Ali (born 2000), Finnish footballer

Khalid Ali (born 1981), 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

Others

Abu Ali (military general) (1945/46–2025), Nigerian military brigadier general and politician

Abu Saeed Muhammad Omar Ali (1945–2012), Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and translator

Ahmadu Ali (born 1936), Nigerian politician

Aishath Ali, Maldivian politician

Aiyna Ali (born 1997), Trinidad and Tobago politician

Anwar Ali (born 1974), Pakistani economist

Ayaan Hirsi Ali (born 1969), writer and politician

Altab Ali (1953–1978), factory garment worker murdered by three teenagers in a racist attack in East London

Ayub Ali (1919–1995), Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and educationist

Ayub Ali Master (1880–1980), British-Bangladeshi social worker and entrepreneur

Azad Ali, IT worker and civil servant for the HM Treasury

Azmin Ali (born 1964), Malaysian politician

Bakhsh Ali, 18th-century Bengali administrator

Enam Ali (1960–2022), founder of the British Curry Awards, Spice Business Magazine and Ion TV

Fatima Ali (1989–2019), Pakistani-American executive chef, restaurateur and television personality

Hassan Al-Ali (Scouting), former General Secretary of the Kuwait Boy Scouts Association

Derived names

Male

Abdul Ali

Ali Reza

Ali Sher (disambiguation)

Barkat Ali

Mehmet Ali

Female

Aaliyah

Aliye

Aliya

Umm Ali

Umm Ali Jijak, mother of Abbasid caliph al-Muktafi

Mononyms

Stage name or pseudonym

Ali (actor) (born 1967), Telugu comedian and TV presenter

Ali (French rapper) (born 1995), French rapper of Moroccan origin

Ali (graffiti artist) (1956–1994), American artist and musician

Ali (American rapper), aka Ali Jones, American rapper

Ali (South Korean singer) (born 1984), South Korean singer

Ali (wrestler) (born 1986), ring name of Pakistani-American professional wrestler Adeel Alam

Ali B (born 1981), Dutch rapper

Ali B (DJ) (born 1975), British DJ

Ali Bongo (magician) (1929–2009), stage name of British comedy magician William Wallace

Ali G, stage persona used by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen

Ali Hassan (actor) (born 1972), Indian television actor

Ali Official (born 1992), British-Bangladeshi comedian

Big Ali (born 1978), American rapper and DJ

Fictional characters

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 Osman, a character in the soap opera EastEnders

Ali Al-Saachez, a character in the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam 00

Ali Mills, a character from the film The Karate Kid (1984)