How Many People Are Named Ali?
An estimated 42,620 people in the United States have the first name Ali. It is used for both genders, with 76.1% male. The average bearer is 22 years old, and Ali peaked in popularity in 2015 with 1,251 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Ali as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Ali paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
42,620
About 1 in 8,042 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Male
76.1% confidence
Average Age
22
years old
Peak Year
2015
1,251 births
Total Registered
43,710
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Ali
Ali is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (76.1%) and females (23.9%). Out of 43,710 total births registered, 33,255 were male and 10,455 were female.
Ali as a male name
Ranked #323 in 2024
1,061 male births in 2024
Peak: 2022 (1,124 births)
Ali as a female name
Ranked #2,524 in 2024
70 female births in 2024
Peak: 2011 (391 births)
Ali in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 69,302 people with the first name Ali, which placed it at #735 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Ali was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 69,302 people with this name in that snapshot, 80.7% were male and 19.3% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 76.1% of the time.
Census Count
69,302
people with this name
Census Rank
#735
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
22.95
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ali was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (63.18%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (13.01%) and Black (11.05%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Ali in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Ali.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 63.18% | 43,781 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 13.01% | 9,017 |
| Black | 11.05% | 7,659 |
| Two or More Races | 6.28% | 4,350 |
| Hispanic | 6.18% | 4,285 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.30% | 208 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Ali: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Ali span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 12,137 babies were registered. While Ali is less common than at its peak in the 2010s, it remains a well-established name with steady registrations.
Ali by Decade
How has Ali tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Ali by State
Birth registrations for Ali span all 47 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Michigan, New York. The lowest are in Wyoming, North Dakota, Delaware. On average, about 812 Alis were registered per state.
Ali + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Ali as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Ali
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
Ali: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ali?
We estimate approximately 42,620 people named Ali are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 8,042 Americans share this first name.
Is Ali a common name?
Ali is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 99% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 43,710 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Ali most popular?
Ali reached peak popularity in 2015, when 1,251 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Ali is approximately 22 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Ali in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 69,302 people with the first name Ali. That placed it at #735 in the published Census first-name tables, or 22.95 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Ali was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Ali?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Ali was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 80.7% male and 19.3% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Ali?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Ali was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (63.18%). The next largest recorded groups were Asian and Pacific Islander (13.01%) and Black (11.05%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Ali a male name?
Ali is predominantly male. 76.1% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Ali have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Ali peaked in 2015, and the average living bearer is about 22 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Ali Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Ali Smith, Ali Johnson, Ali Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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