The baby name Laif is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /leɪf/ (LAYF) — also sometimes /laɪf/ (LIFE); original Old Norse approx. /leːf/.
Laif is Norse in Origin.
The baby name Laif is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /leɪf/ (LAYF) — also sometimes /laɪf/ (LIFE); original Old Norse approx. /leːf/.
Laif is Norse in Origin.
Laif is a modern phonetic respelling of the Scandinavian name Leif, derived from Old Norse Leifr, ultimately from Proto-Norse *laibaz meaning “heir” or “descendant,” with a sense of “what is left as a legacy.” The name is anchored in Norse history through Leif Erikson, the Icelandic-Greenlandic explorer credited with reaching North America around the year 1000. It has been used across the Nordic world since medieval times and enjoyed strong mid-20th-century popularity in countries like Norway and Sweden, later gaining wider recognition in English-speaking regions via Scandinavian heritage and pop culture.
Laif retains the same pronunciation as Leif (“layf”) while giving a distinctive contemporary twist. Related forms include Leif (standard), Leiv (Norwegian), Lejf (Danish), Leifur (Icelandic), Leivur (Faroese), Leifr (Old Norse), and Leifs (Latvian); Swedish nickname Leffe also appears. Usage remains rare, stylish, and strongly Nordic in flavor.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO | Boys | 0 | #249 | 1 | 5,568 |
| AF | Boys | 0 | #274 | 1 | 3,535 |
| DK | Boys | 0 | #332 | 1 | 7,401 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #332 | 1 | 5,862 |
| YE | 0 | #398 | 1 | 8,639 | |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #525 | 2 | 12,621 |
| LY | 0 | #559 | 1 | 12,703 | |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #561 | 1 | 19,177 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| BH | 0 | #587 | 1 | 17,937 | |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #602 | 4 | 10,045 |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #697 | 1 | 13,071 |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| United States | Boys | 2023 | #894 | 5 | 7,053 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #918 | 1 | 17,948 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #1,009 | 1 | 14,742 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #1,033 | 1 | 16,355 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,072 | 1 | 24,821 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,142 | 2 | 22,615 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,181 | 2 | 25,439 |
| MA | 0 | #1,198 | 2 | 20,986 | |
| DZ | 0 | #1,228 | 7 | 20,130 | |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,267 | 1 | 17,781 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,686 | 6 | 28,008 |
Laif is popular in 22 countries — most recent births per country:
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