The baby name Salif is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced sah-LEEF (IPA: /saˈliːf/ or /saˈlif/).
The baby name Salif is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced sah-LEEF (IPA: /saˈliːf/ or /saˈlif/).
Salif is in Origin.
Salif is a West African masculine given name of Arabic origin, transmitted through Islamized Sahelian languages such as Bambara, Mandinka, Fula, and Wolof. Most scholars link it to Arabic Ṣāliḥ (صالح), meaning “virtuous, righteous, upright,” whose forms spread with Islam and adapted to regional pronunciation and French-based orthography, yielding Salif alongside Salifu and Salifou.
Its use is widespread in Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Ghana, reinforced during the colonial period and into the 20th century by Quranic schooling and civil registration that fixed spellings. The name is borne by figures like singer Salif Keïta and footballers Salif Diao and Salif Sané, cementing its pan-West African profile. Variants and cognates include Salih, Saleh, Salihu (Hausa), Saliou (Wolof), Salifu/Salifou, and the feminine Saliha/Salihah. Parents choose it to express hopes for moral integrity and upright character.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF | 0 | #8 | 3 | 188 | |
| BF | Boys | 0 | #9 | 29 | 439 |
| CM | 0 | #55 | 2 | 2,592 | |
| BG | 0 | #82 | 1 | 1,799 | |
| QA | 0 | #106 | 1 | 7,011 | |
| CY | Boys | 0 | #131 | 1 | 3,473 |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #154 | 1 | 4,685 |
| MT | Boys | 0 | #179 | 1 | 4,064 |
| BG | Boys | 0 | #204 | 16 | 3,850 |
| SI | Boys | 0 | #211 | 1 | 3,402 |
| AO | Boys | 0 | #233 | 10 | 5,568 |
| GH | 0 | #243 | 6 | 5,396 | |
| GR | Boys | 0 | #269 | 5 | 6,912 |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #289 | 331 | 12,054 |
| KZ | Boys | 0 | #296 | 1 | 6,578 |
| SA | 0 | #312 | 1 | 10,560 | |
| DK | Boys | 0 | #329 | 4 | 7,401 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #330 | 2 | 9,639 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #331 | 15 | 8,138 |
| France | Boys | 2021 | #348 | 40 | 2,865 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #380 | 2 | 7,951 |
| JO | Boys | 0 | #389 | 1 | 7,057 |
| LY | 0 | #390 | 148 | 12,703 | |
| YE | 0 | #398 | 1 | 8,639 | |
| EG | 0 | #412 | 1 | 6,387 | |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #432 | 14 | 10,523 |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #483 | 1 | 7,628 |
| GT | Boys | 0 | #499 | 1 | 7,625 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #509 | 2 | 10,188 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #522 | 5 | 12,621 |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #525 | 1 | 11,303 |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #528 | 13 | 11,671 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #560 | 2 | 10,655 |
| BH | 0 | #584 | 4 | 17,937 | |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #597 | 1 | 20,968 |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #605 | 1 | 10,045 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #650 | 1 | 16,104 |
| LB | 0 | #688 | 3 | 13,263 | |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #696 | 2 | 13,071 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #737 | 7 | 18,093 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #739 | 1 | 17,960 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #758 | 12 | 18,755 |
| SY | 0 | #767 | 1 | 11,684 | |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #785 | 1 | 12,213 |
| Spain | Boys | 0 | #790 | 142 | 5,610 |
| TN | 0 | #812 | 18 | 13,765 | |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #824 | 3 | 15,093 |
| United States | Boys | 2023 | #893 | 6 | 7,053 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #911 | 8 | 17,948 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #917 | 9 | 15,035 |
| DZ | 0 | #925 | 252 | 20,130 | |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #926 | 1 | 14,506 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #930 | 22 | 16,906 |
| NL | Boys | 0 | #937 | 15 | 5,873 |
| Germany | Boys | 0 | #942 | 11 | 5,697 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #992 | 1 | 12,708 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #1,009 | 1 | 14,742 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,013 | 2 | 25,931 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,034 | 6 | 16,750 |
| MA | 0 | #1,042 | 87 | 20,986 | |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,072 | 1 | 24,821 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,080 | 13 | 22,615 |
| TR | 0 | #1,120 | 92 | 19,440 | |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #1,121 | 353 | 10,046 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,169 | 10 | 25,619 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,181 | 2 | 25,439 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,234 | 3 | 25,928 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,267 | 1 | 17,781 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,568 | 47 | 28,008 |
Salif is popular in 53 countries — most recent births per country:
Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!