Ali ( name ) - wikipedia Ali ( name ) For Ali ibn Abi Talib, see Ali. For other uses, see Ali ( disambiguation ). Ali Pronunciation Arabic : ( ˈʕaliː ) Persian : ( ʔæˈliː ) Turkish : ( ˈɑli ) Hindustani : ( ʔəˈliː ) Finnish : ( ɑli ) Gender Male Language ( s ) Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Finnish, others Origin Meaning Islamic : High, exalted, champion, noble Finnish : Diminutive of Alexander ( other languages ) Other names Variant form ( s ) Aly, Alli, Alley, Allie, Ally Ali ( Arabic : علي ‎, ʿAlī ) is a male Arabic name derived from the Arabic root ʕ - l-w, which literally means `` high '', `` elevated '' or `` champion ''. It is a common name in Arab countries and the rest of the Muslim world. Islamic traditional use of the name goes back to the Islamic leader Ali ibn Abi Talib but the name 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 name Ali also arises in other traditions. Among English - speakers as short for male and female names starting with `` Al - '', or the Old Norse man 's name Áli. It can also be an English nickname, as a shortened form of Alice, Alison, Alistair, Alexander, or Alexandra. Ali is also a Finnish male given name, derived from Aleksanteri. Contents 1 Islam 2 Given name 2.1 Males 2.2 Females 3 Surname 4 Derived names 4.1 Male 4.2 Female 5 Entertainment 5.1 Stage name or pseudonym 5.2 Fictional characters 6 See also 7 References Islam al - ' Ali ( The Sublimely Exalted ), one of the 99 names of God in Islam Ali ( ' Ali ibn Abi Talib ), cousin and son - in - law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the fourth Caliph of Islam and the first infallible imam ( leader ) in Twelver Shi'a thought. ' Ali ibn Husayn ( Zayn al - Abidin ), fourth infallible imam in Twelver Shi'a thought, grandson of Ali ibn Abi Talib ' Ali ibn Musa ( ar - Reza ), eighth infallible imam in Twelver Shi'a thought. ' Ali ibn Muhammad ( al - Hadi ), tenth infallible imam in Twelver Shi'a thought. Given name Males Ali al - Sistani, Highest - ranking Iraqi religious leader Ali ( actor ), Telugu comedian and TV presenter Ali ( French rapper ) Ali ( American rapper ), aka Ali Jones, American rapper Ali ( South Korean singer ) Ali ( graffiti artist ) Ali Aaltonen, Finnish Red Guard commander Ali Abu Awwad, Palestinian pacifist Ali Akbar Navis, Indonesian author Ali Akdemir, Turkish scientist Ali al - Abdallah, Syrian writer and human rights activist Ali Alanç ( born 1959 ), Turkish football manager Ali Alatas, Indonesian diplomat Ali Annabi, Tunisian fencer Ali Babacan, Turkish politician Ali Bacher, South African cricket batsman & administrator Ali Kemal Bey, Turkish journalist, newspaper editor and poet Ali Kireş, Turkish footballer Ali Bozer, Turkish politician Ali Brownlee ( 1959 -- 2016 ), English sportscaster Ali Çetinkaya, Turkish Army officer Ali Daei ( born 1969 ), Iranian footballer Ali al - Dandachi, Syrian scout leader Ali Demić, Bosnian basketball player Ali Eren Demirezen ( born 1990 ), Turkish amateur boxer Ali Dizaei ( born 1962 ), Anglo - Iranian police officer and criminal Ali Džabič ( 1853 -- 1918 ), Bosnian mufti Ali Erdemir, Turkish scientist Ali Fadel, Iraqi politician Ali Farokhmanesh ( born 1988 ), American basketball player and coach Ali Güneş, Turkish footballer Ali Hassan al - Majid ( 1941 -- 2010 ), Iraqi politician and mass murderer Ali İsmet Öztürk ( born 1964 ), Turkish aerobatics pilot Ali Jarbawi, Palestinian politician Ali Kaya ( born Stanley Kiprotich Mukche in 1994 ), Kenyan - Turkish long - distance runner Ali Kaya ( serial killer ) ( born 1979 ), Turkish serial killer Ali Khademhosseini ( born 1975 ), Iranian - Canadian bioengineer Ali Kordan ( 1958 -- 2009 ), Iranian politician Ali ibn Abbas al - Majusi, 11th century physician Ali Moulana, Sri Lankan politician, chairman of Eravur Urban Council Ali Maksum, Indonesian Islamic leader Ali Marpet ( born 1993 ), American football player in the NFL Ali Marwi, Kuwaiti footballer Ali Noorzad, Afghan basketball player Ali Nuhić, German - born Bosnian footballer Ali Ölmez, Turkish footballer Ali Omari, Afghan footballer Ali Özgentürk, Turkish film director Ali Öztürk ( footballer born 1986 ), Turkish footballer Ali Öztürk ( footballer born 1987 ), Turkish footballer Ali Qanso, Lebanese politician Ali ibn Ridwan, 11th century astrologer Ali Saad ( actor ), Lebanese actor and voice actor Ali Sabancı, Turkish businessman Ali Sadikin, Indonesian politician Ali Said Raygal, Somali politician Ali Saleem, Pakistani television host Ali Salem, Egyptian playwright Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al - Tabari Ali Sami Yen, Turkish Association Football entrepreneur Ali Sarı ( born 1986 ), Turkish taekwondo practitioner Ali Sastroamidjojo, 8th and 10th Prime Minister of Indonesia Ali Shahalom, British - Bangladeshi comedian Ali Shayegan ( 1903 -- 1981 ), Iranian politician Ali Tandoğan, Turkish footballer Ali Tayebnia ( born 1960 ), Iranian academic and politician Ali Turan, Turkish footballer Ali Williams ( born 1981 ), New Zealand rugby union player Ali Yafie, Indonesian Islamic leader Ali Yusuf Kenadid, Somali Sultan of the Sultanate of Hobyo Ali Nihat Yazıcı, Turkish Chess official Ali I of Yejju ( died 1788 ), Ethiopian leader Ali II of Yejju ( c. 1819 -- c. 1866 ), Ethiopian leader Ali Al - Zein ( born 1949 ), Lebanese actor and voice actor Middle name Abbas Ali Khalatbari ( 1912 -- 1979 ), Iranian diplomat Lotf Ali Khan ( c. 1769 -- 1794 ), last Shah of the Zand dynasty, of Persia Females Ali Krieger ( born 1984 ), American soccer player Ali Landry ( born 1973 ), American model and actress Ali Larter ( born 1976 ), American actress Ali Lee ( born 1982 ), Hong Kong actress Ali Lohan ( born 1993 ), American model and actress Ali MacGraw ( born 1939 ), American actress Ali Michael ( born 1990 ), American fashion model Ali Riley ( born 1987 ), American - born New Zealand soccer player Surname Aamir Ali, Indian television actor Abdulaziz Ali ( born 1980 ), Qatari footballer Ahmadu Ali ( born 1936 ), Nigerian politician Ahmed Ali ( 1910 - 1994 ), Pakistani writer Ali ( born 1968 ), Indian film actor Ayaan Hirsi Ali ( born 1969 ), writer, and politician Begum Nawazish Ali ( born 1979 ), Pakistani television host Filiz Ali ( born 1937 ), Turkish pianist Hameen Ali ( born 1977 ), American football player Hassan Al - Ali, former General Secretary of the Kuwait Boy Scouts Association Imtiaz Ali ( born 1971 ), Indian film director Imtiaz Ali ( born 1954 ), former West Indian cricketer Imtiaz Ali, Trinidadian cricketer Laila Ali ( born 1977 ), daughter of Muhammad Ali, female boxer Mahershala Ali ( born 1974 ), American actor Meral Yıldız Ali ( born 1987 ), Romanian - Turkish female table tennis player Muhammad Ali ( 1942 -- 2016 ; born Cassius Clay ), American boxer Muhammad Shamsi Ali ( born 1967 ), Indonesian - American Muslim scholar Noble Drew Ali ( 1886 -- 1929 ), Founder of the Moorish Science Temple of America Rashied Ali ( 1935 -- 2009 ), American drummer Rucka Rucka Ali ( born 1987 ), American rapper, radio personality, singer, comedian, and satirist Rushanara Ali ( born 1975 ), British politician Sabahattin Ali ( 1907 - 1948 ), Turkish novelist and journalist Safiye Ali ( 1891 - 1952 ), Turkish physician Saleem Ali ( born 1973 ), Pakistani - American scholar Salim Ali ( 1896 - 1987 ), Indian ornithologist and naturalist Samina Ali, Indian - American author and activist Sarfraz Ali ( born c. 1977 ), convicted of the racially motivated murder of Ross Parker Sayfuz Ali ( born 1988 ), British - Bangladeshi singer - songwriter Somy Ali ( born 1976 ), Bollywood actress Sonni Ali ( died 1492 ), first king of the West African Songhai empire Tatyana Ali ( born 1979 ), American actress and singer Derived names Male Abdul Ali Ali Reza Barkat Ali Mehmet Ali Female Aliye Entertainment Stage name or pseudonym Ali ( French rapper ) Ali ( graffiti artist ) Ali ( American rapper ), aka Ali Jones, American rapper Ali ( South Korean singer ) Ali B, Dutch rapper Ali B ( DJ ), British DJ Ali Bongo ( 1929 -- 2009 ), stage name of British comedy magician William Wallace Ali G, stage persona used by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen Ali Official, British - Bangladeshi comedian Big Ali, American rapper and DJ Fictional characters Ali ( character ), a Chinese cartoon character Ali Baba, character described in the adventure tale of `` Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves '' Ali Al - Saachez, character in the anime Gundam 00, one of the main antagonists of the show See also Turkish name Alli ( disambiguation ) Allie Alley ( surname ) Prince Ali ( disambiguation ) References Jump up ^ Kustaa Vilkuna, Marketta Huitu and Pirjo Mikkonen. Etunimet, published in Joka kodin suuri nimikirja. Suuri Suomalainen Kirjakerho, 1990. This page or section lists people that share the same given name or the same family name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ali_(name)&oldid=832089212 '' Categories : Given names Surnames Arabic - language surnames Arabic masculine given names Bosniak masculine given names Bosnian masculine given names Finnish masculine given names Iranian masculine given names Pakistani masculine given names Turkish - language surnames Turkish masculine given names Hidden categories : Articles containing Arabic - language text Articles containing Hebrew - language text All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Esperanto فارسی Íslenska Italiano Magyar Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Suomi 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 23 March 2018, at 19 : 36. About Wikipedia

Question: where does the last name ali come from
Answer: Arabic root ʕ-l-w, which literally means "high" , "elevated" or "champion"