UK girl's name
Elif
A feminine Turkish name derived from the Arabic alphabet.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Elif is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Elif popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #686, with 55 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 83 births.
This profile covers 1,267 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 66% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,283 living people in the UK are called Elif. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Elif ranked #686 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 55 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 83 girls were registered as Elif.
- • Elif ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
- • About 1,283 living people in the UK are estimated to have Elif as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#686
2024
Births in 2024
55
Latest year
Peak year
2015
83 births
Estimated living
1,283
2026
Meaning
What does Elif mean?
The given name Elif has its origins in the Arabic language. It is believed to have emerged during the 7th century, around the time of the rise of Islam and the spread of the Arabic language and culture across the Middle East and North Africa.
Elif is derived from the Arabic word "alif," which refers to the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. This letter is considered sacred in Islamic tradition and is often used as a symbol of the oneness of God. The name Elif is thought to have been chosen for its association with this sacred letter and its symbolic meaning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Elif can be found in the works of renowned Arab poets and scholars from the 8th and 9th centuries. For example, the famous poet Abu Nuwas (756-814 CE) and the renowned scholar Al-Jahiz (776-868 CE) both mentioned individuals with the name Elif in their writings.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Elif. One of the most famous was Elif Batuman (born 1976), a Turkish-American writer, and academic known for her works on Russian literature and culture. Another notable figure was Elif Shafak (born 1971), a Turkish novelist, essayist, and academic whose works often explore themes of gender, identity, and multiculturalism.
In the field of arts and culture, Elif Çağlar (born 1972) is a prominent Turkish actress and model who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. Elif Öner (born 1972) is a Turkish singer and songwriter who has released several successful albums and is known for her contributions to Turkish pop music.
Going back further in history, Elif Khatun (1190-1233) was a prominent figure in the Seljuk Empire, serving as the wife of Sultan Kaykhusraw I and playing a significant role in the political and cultural life of the empire.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Elif, which has its roots in the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Arabic language and the Islamic tradition.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Elif over time
The chart below shows babies named Elif registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Elif, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 55 births in 2024, compared with 83 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Elif by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Elif was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #727 | 253 | 5 |
| 2010s | #646 | 645 | 10 |
| 2000s | #940 | 297 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1100 | 72 | 4 |
Geography
Where Elif is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Elif. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Elif ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #790 in 2024.
Across the UK
Elif in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
6 years of NRS records, 22 total registered
Related
Names similar to Elif
- Emily 121,621
- Ella 69,101
- Ellie 63,522
- Evie 52,944
- Emma 50,755
- Eleanor 40,576
- Elizabeth 39,225
- Erin 34,816
- Eva 29,738
- Evelyn 26,911
- Elsie 23,671
- Emilia 22,167
FAQ
Elif: questions and answers
How popular is the name Elif in the UK right now?
In 2024, Elif was ranked #686 for girls in England and Wales, with 55 births registered.
When was Elif most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 83 babies registered as Elif in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Elif?
A feminine Turkish name derived from the Arabic alphabet.
How many people are called Elif in the UK?
A total of 1,267 babies have been registered as Elif across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 22 more in Scotland.
Where is Elif most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Elif ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #790 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.