Save Gender Masculine Usage Arabic, Urdu, Pashto Scripts ولي(Arabic, Pashto) ولی(Urdu) Pronounced Pron. /ˈwa.liː/(Arabic) [key·simplify] Meaning & History Means "helper, protector, friend" in Arabic, derived from ولي (waliya) meaning "to be close". It is also used to refer to saints in Islamic tradition. Related NamesFamily Tree·Details RootwalīOther Languages & CulturesVeli(Albanian) Veli(Turkish) PopularityDetails Last ranked #844 in 2022 England and Wales Categories beloved, friendship, help, Islam, isograms, protection, religion