What does the name Elif mean?

Elif (أَلِف) means "The first letter of the Arabic alphabet; tall and graceful". Named for the Arabic letter alif; its tall vertical line is poetic shorthand for elegance.

Is Elif a name from the Qur'an?

Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Elif is a Turkish-Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.

Is Elif a boy or a girl name?

Elif is traditionally a girl's name.

Where does the name Elif come from?

Elif is a Turkish-Arabic name, built on the root letters ʾ-L-F. Among the most popular Turkish girls' names.

A Name Story by Houdhoud

أَلِف

Elif

EH-lif

“The first letter of the Arabic alphabet; tall and graceful.”

About Elif

Elif is a Muslim baby girl's name meaning "the first letter of the Arabic alphabet; tall and graceful", a Turkish-Arabic name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.

Named for the Arabic letter alif; its tall vertical line is poetic shorthand for elegance.

Among the most popular Turkish girls' names.

Spellings of Elif

Spelling	Births in England and Wales, 2025	Births in France, 2016 to 2025
Elifthe spelling used on this page	54	1,890

Babies registered with exactly that spelling. England and Wales: Office for National Statistics, 2025 (the list covers names given to 3 or more babies). France: INSEE Fichier des prénoms, 2016 to 2025 added together (INSEE rounds each yearly count to the nearest 5).

Origin & roots

Origin

Turkish · Arabic

Gender

Girl

Root letters

أ ل فʾ-L-F

Turkish absorbed thousands of Arabic-rooted words after the Anatolian conversion; Elif's root letters sit at the seam.

How to say it

EH·lif

Stressed syllable in capitals

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“One who weans; she who abstains.”

Hilalهِلَال

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“Crescent moon.”

Common questions about Elif

What does the name Elif mean?: Elif (أَلِف) means "The first letter of the Arabic alphabet; tall and graceful". Named for the Arabic letter alif; its tall vertical line is poetic shorthand for elegance.
Is Elif a name from the Qur'an?: Houdhoud doesn't show a verse for this name. Elif is a Turkish-Arabic name long carried across the Muslim world. We only show a Qur'anic verse when it's verified against the Tanzil corpus.
Is Elif a boy or a girl name?: Elif is traditionally a girl's name.
Where does the name Elif come from?: Elif is a Turkish-Arabic name, built on the root letters ʾ-L-F. Among the most popular Turkish girls' names.

Browse names like Elif

Collections Elif belongs to.

Names meaning beauty and grace Turkish Muslim Baby Names Muslim Girl Names All names

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