National Eli Day, observed on May 20, honours the revered biblical name Eli. This name, which appears in the ‘Old Testament,’ has been primarily given to men, although it can be given to and used by both sexes. The name ‘Eli’ has two distinct meanings — ‘uplift’ and ‘God’ — and both have their origins in the Hebrew “Bible,” from which the name derives.
The Background of National Eli Day
The name Eli first appeared in the Hebrew “Bible” with two distinct meanings. The initial term means ‘ascent,’ ‘high,’ or ‘elevated.’ The second meaning is “my God” if the name is derived from a biblical name such as Elijah, Eliezer, or Elisha.
The first meaning derives from the name Eli, which appears in two volumes of the Christian Old Testament’s Book of Samuel. Eli was a high priest of Shiloh, now known as the “West Bank,” and the first judge of Israel. His chance encounter with a young woman at the Shiloh temple put the plot in motion. Hannah, as she was known, struggled to conceive and went to the temple to pray for a son. She ultimately obtained her desire, and, believing that the temple and its priest were responsible for the miracle, she sent her son Samuel to Eli to be trained and raised.
The connection to the “Bible” was the reason so many Puritans in 17th-century England adopted this name. They immigrated to America and brought with them this surname. The name was subsequently adopted by American society, and its popularity soared. In the 1880s, it ranked 200th among all infant names, falling only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
By the early 1970s, the name had regained popularity, ranking at number 400 among all baby names. By 2013, it was ranked 43 out of the top 100 names, having entered the top 100 in the 2000s.
The name remains an excellent option for baby boys. Why else would celebrities such as SNL alum Rachel Dratch and CNN anchor Campbell Brown name their offspring Eli?
NATIONAL ELI DAY ACTIVITIES
Discover the Eli in popular names
Have you ever observed how many names contain the name Eli? Check how many individuals around you share the name Eli, and consider using this amusing name for them.
Read about celebrated Elis
You can begin by learning more about Eli the prophet and how his entire family became eternally condemned. You can then proceed to other well-known Elis in popular culture and history.
Host a celebration in honour of Eli.
Celebrate National Eli Day by hosting a “name” celebration for all the Elis in your life. You can binge-watch television and film featuring a character with this name, serve food and beverages with the name Eli in their formulations, and use other creative methods to honour this special name.
5 OUTSTANDING FACTS ABOUT THE NAME ELI
The name is so brief that people may refer to the Eli in their lives as “E.”
People with names that contain the ‘El’ pronunciation, such as Elijah and Elisa, commonly use the nickname Eli.
In European nations, a girl or woman named Elsbet or Helena may be referred to as Eli.
In honour of the university’s benefactor, English colonial administrator and philanthropist Elihu Yale, students and alumni of Yale University are referred to by the appellation Eli.
The name is so brief that only the English ‘Ely,’ the Latin ‘Heli,’ and the Finnish ‘Eeli’ are prevalent variations.
NATIONAL ELI DAY DATES
Year | Date | Day |
---|---|---|
2023 | May 20 | Saturday |
2024 | May 20 | Monday |
2025 | May 20 | Tuesday |
2026 | May 20 | Wednesday |
2027 | May 20 | Thursday |