Fun Facts About the Name Elif
- More than 1 thousand babies named Elif: U.S. records list 1,530 babies given the name Elif from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Elif Mean?
Elif is a Turkish feminine given name taken from alif (Arabic ألف), the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Turkish borrowed the letter and its name together with the Arabic script, so Elif is the Turkish form of the Arabic letter name rather than a separate word. The letter name goes back to a West Semitic term for "ox" (the same source as Hebrew áleph), because the letter's shape began as a drawing of an ox head. The meaning usually attached to the personal name, though, is "the first letter," with the ideas of beginning and of the number one, the value alif holds in the Arabic abjad system.
A secondary explanation found in some Turkish name lists connects Elif with the Arabic adjective alīf, "tame, friendly, familiar." That is a different word from the letter name, and the letter-name explanation is the standard one.
Elif Name History & Origins
Elif came into use among Turkic peoples after their adoption of Islam and the Arabic script, a process that began in the tenth century under the Karakhanids and continued through the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In Ottoman Turkish the first letter of the alphabet was called elif, and Elif was given as a girl's name; it has remained a common name in Turkey and is also used in Kurdish, Azerbaijani (Əlif), and Bosnian Muslim communities.
Ottoman divan poetry made the letter a standard image: the single upright stroke of the alif stood for the oneness of God and for the slim, upright figure of the beloved. Turkish preserves the phrase elif gibi dosdoğru, "straight as an alif," for an honest, upright person. The name is not related to the biblical name Eliphaz, which only looks similar in transliteration.
How Popular is the Name Elif?
Elif has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2024. Its best rank was #1,763 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,915 | 101 | 0.0063% |
| 2024 | #1,763 | 114 | 0.0071% |
| 2023 | #2,160 | 88 | 0.0055% |
| 2022 | #1,899 | 106 | 0.0065% |
| 2021 | #2,191 | 85 | 0.0052% |
| 2020 | #2,222 | 81 | 0.0050% |
| 2019 | #3,099 | 52 | 0.0031% |
| 2018 | #2,654 | 65 | 0.0038% |
| 2017 | #2,580 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2016 | #2,572 | 69 | 0.0039% |
| 2015 | #3,143 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2014 | #2,423 | 75 | 0.0042% |
| 2013 | #3,053 | 54 | 0.0031% |
| 2012 | #2,912 | 59 | 0.0034% |
| 2011 | #3,462 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2010 | #3,375 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2009 | #4,038 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #4,296 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2007 | #4,593 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2006 | #5,279 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #5,491 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2004 | #10,951 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #7,705 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #8,441 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #10,354 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #10,140 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #7,362 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #6,470 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #5,960 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1996 | #14,164 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #8,270 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #6,081 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #10,924 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #6,405 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #10,612 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #9,523 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #10,006 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #12,368 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #10,229 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #9,890 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #8,417 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #9,363 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #10,841 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #8,754 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Elif Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Elif's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Elif's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.