Elif
Elif is a name that is most commonly given to females in Turkey, but is also popular in other countries such as the Netherlands. In Greece, it is associated with the name Nefeli. It originates from the Arabic word for the first letter of the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. Like the shape of the letter, it is thus taken to mean 'slender or upright'.
Meaning & Origin of Elif
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elif is a name that is most commonly given to females in Turkey, but is also popular in other countries such as the Netherlands. In Greece, it is associated with the name Nefeli. It originates from the Arabic word for the first letter of the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. Like the shape of the letter, it is thus taken to mean 'slender or upright'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Elif
Elif first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1977, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 116 Elifs were born — ranking #1,753 that year. As of 2026, Elif ranks #1,753 for baby girls with 116 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Elifs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Elif
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elif is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elif
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About the name Elif
Elif is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Elif's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,753. Use the chart and map above to compare Elif's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.