Elif
How to say it: eh-LEEF · /ɛˈlif/
Turkish name from 'alif' - first letter of Arabic alphabet, connotes slender elegance.
Elif was the 1,487th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 101 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 83% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,133 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,487 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 101 |
| Share of births | 1 in 32,825 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +83% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,133 |
| In France, 2025 | #370 among girls’ names, 130 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Elif is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Elif is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French, Turkish.
In France: #370 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Elif
- Elif Şafak (born 1971)Turkish writer
- Elif Batuman (born 1977)American writer and academic
- Elif Jale Yeşilırmak (born 1986)Turkish wrestler
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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