Where does “Bali” come from?

Bali comes from Chinese Bālǐ, which ultimately derives from Sanskrit Bali, though the exact semantic connection remains unclear.

Ancestry of “Bali”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Balinese	Bali	—
2	Old Javanese	bali	—
3	Sanskrit	बलि	—
4	Sanskrit	बलिन्	—
5	Sanskrit	बल	power, strength, might, vigour, force, validity;...
6	Proto-Indo-Aryan	bálas	—
7	Proto-Indo-Iranian	bálas	strong, forceful
8	Proto-Indo-European	bel-	to dig, cut off?; strong; power, strength

Bali — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer