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Elif as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Elif

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The baby name Elif is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /eˈlif/ (eh-LEEF).

Elif is Turkish in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Turkish
Pronunciation: /eˈlif/ (eh-LEEF)

What is the meaning of the name Elif ?

The baby name Elif is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /eˈlif/ (eh-LEEF).

Elif is Turkish in Origin.

Elif is a Turkish feminine given name derived from Arabic alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. In Ottoman and Sufi literary tradition, alif’s single upright stroke symbolizes unity, the beginning, and moral straightness; in Turkish idiom, “elif gibi” means tall and slender, reinforcing associations of elegance and poise. The name also nods to learning and literacy through its alphabetic origin.

Used among Turkish speakers since Ottoman times, Elif rose to widespread popularity in late 20th- and early 21st-century Turkey and among the Turkish and Kurdish diaspora in Europe and the Balkans. Variants and cognates include Alif (Arabic, Malay/Indonesian, South Asian; often masculine or unisex), Elîf (Kurdish orthography), and Alef/Aleph (the Hebrew letter name with the same Semitic root). Related compound forms in Turkish (e.g., Elifnaz) also occur, while the core meaning of “first, upright, slender” remains consistent.

Elif has the following similar or variant Names

Elif – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
Ireland Girls 2023 #1 — 897
TR 0 #26 68,934 19,440
TM Girls 0 #33 3 574
AZ 0 #41 3 706
GE 0 #43 2 997
Austria Girls 2015 #47 156 60
AZ Girls 0 #64 11 1,051
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
AF Girls 0 #78 17 2,402
BG 0 #78 5 1,799
SI 0 #79 2 1,612
LT 0 #88 1 949
GE Girls 0 #94 11 1,564
SD 0 #102 1 2,130
QA 0 #105 2 7,011
Switzerland Girls 2024 #106 30 1,786
Belgium Girls 2024 #116 70 424
BG Girls 0 #119 115 3,559
Norway Girls 2025 #120 7 453
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
AZ Boys 0 #129 3 1,400
IQ 0 #130 4 3,533
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
Sweden Girls 2022 #161 19 1,568
SI Girls 0 #164 11 2,769
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
Austria 0 #181 33 850
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
GR Girls 0 #185 58 6,293
LU Girls 0 #185 6 4,850
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
AL Girls 0 #199 24 4,141
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
Austria Girls 0 #215 261 1,885
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
HU Girls 0 #224 2 3,308
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
France Girls 2021 #240 179 3,185
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
Germany Girls 0 #245 1,282 4,949
DK Girls 0 #245 73 7,429
JP Girls 0 #245 7 6,592
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
Canada Girls 2023 #267 13 2,824
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
KZ Girls 0 #287 34 5,862
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
HR Girls 0 #293 2 3,687
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
AL Boys 0 #299 5 5,122
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
Germany 0 #321 121 2,542
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
DK Boys 0 #330 3 7,401
GT 0 #336 3 5,948
JO Girls 0 #336 4 7,570
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
NL 0 #350 42 2,481
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
SD Girls 0 #355 4 7,678
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
PL Girls 0 #357 8 5,096
IQ Girls 0 #360 148 11,303
Finland Girls 0 #382 10 1,368
OM Girls 0 #383 14 15,987
YE 0 #397 2 8,639
BO 0 #404 5 6,868
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
MX 0 #443 3 8,339
RU Girls 0 #455 44 11,913
PA Girls 0 #469 13 9,861
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
KW Girls 0 #502 14 19,177
NL Girls 0 #504 546 5,933
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
AE Girls 0 #531 23 20,968
UY Girls 0 #531 6 6,731
GT Girls 0 #537 5 7,500
IR Girls 0 #540 6 8,334
PS Girls 0 #543 5 10,981
LY 0 #553 7 12,703
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
CR Girls 0 #567 7 11,342
AR Girls 0 #579 21 8,289
BO Girls 0 #582 30 9,488
BH 0 #585 3 17,937
Finland Girls 2026 #627 113 3,895
SG Girls 0 #629 4 18,916
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
IQ Boys 0 #652 16 13,071
LB 0 #686 5 13,263
IT 0 #694 21 4,183
CL Boys 0 #697 4 13,390
SY 0 #710 19 11,684
TN 0 #713 117 13,765
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
CL Girls 0 #791 61 14,098
United States Girls 2024 #803 114 8,487
DZ 0 #832 354 20,130
SA Girls 0 #855 81 25,931
PE Girls 0 #862 82 14,861
CO Boys 0 #905 16 15,656
EG Boys 0 #922 4 15,035
EG Girls 0 #924 36 14,742
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
Germany Boys 0 #933 20 5,697
NL Boys 0 #942 10 5,873
CO Girls 0 #950 129 16,140
Spain Girls 0 #962 22 5,561
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
MX Boys 0 #1,030 4 16,355
MY Girls 0 #1,064 9 24,821
MA 0 #1,077 52 20,986
MX Girls 0 #1,112 72 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,175 8 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,232 5 25,928
IT Girls 0 #1,327 120 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,459 13 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,605 10 28,008

Elif is popular in 75 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Belgium
Flanders, Belgium
Wallonia, Belgium
Switzerland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Elif

Elif is predominantly a girl's name.
Elif is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /eˈlif/ (eh-LEEF).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Alif, Alef and Aleph.
Across languages, Elif has these equivalents: Alif (Arabic), Aleph (Hebrew).
Yes, very popular — Elif ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Elif ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Elif's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #230 in 2011 to #240 in 2021 in France.