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Elif

Meaning: Alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet
Origin: Turkish — Popularly taken to mean slender and upright, like the letter

Girl's name · #1915 in the US (2025) · 2020s wave

Popularity over time

Elif reached its best rank, #1755, in 2024 and ranked #1915 in 2025. About 1,500 girls have carried it since 1977.

Across the states

See where Elif is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 9 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Elif ranks in other countries and regions.

#11 in Türkiye (2025) · #137 in Austria (2025) · #148 in Netherlands (2025) · #179 in Belgium (2025) · #248 in Switzerland (2025) · #271 in Ecuador (2025) · #365 in Sweden (2025) · #396 in Norway (2025) · #418 in France (2025) · #476 in Italy (2024) · #632 in Scotland (2025) · #684 in England & Wales (2025) and 7 more.

Famous Elifs

Elif Şafak — Turkish novelist, essayist and women's rights activist (born 1971)
Elif Batuman — American writer and academic (born 1977)
Elif Eralp — German politician (born 1981)
Elif Şahin — Turkish volleyball player (born 2001)
Elif Demirezer — German singer and guitarist (born 1992)

What Elifs become

Among 167 notable people named Elif:

Entertainers appear 1.78× more often than among typical names — e.g. Elif Demirezer, German singer and guitarist (born 1992).

Similar names: Zeynep · Ellia · Noura · Emaan · Amyrah · Ayda

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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