Elif
Girl name · #1921 in 2025 · Uniqueness 61/100
Elif is currently the #1921 girl name in the United States — 101 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #3129, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 17,822 girls born in 2025 was named Elif.
The 48-year story
Elif first appears in the Social Security records in 1977, when 6 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2024, with 115 babies and a rank of #1753. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Elif per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elif against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elif in class?
Elif scores 61 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Elif is most common
Geography matters for names, and Elif is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Elifs were NY (16), FL (12), TX (9), PA (7), CA (6). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Elif
Statistically, parents drawn to Elif tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Esty, Ever, Eila, Eira, and Evana.
EstyEverEilaEiraEvanaHayaEmeriEsra
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elif | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 101 | #1911 |
| 2024 | 115 | #1753 |
| 2023 | 90 | #2124 |
| 2022 | 106 | #1898 |
| 2021 | 85 | #2186 |
| 2020 | 81 | #2216 |
| 2019 | 52 | #3085 |
| 2018 | 65 | #2647 |
| 2017 | 68 | #2573 |
| 2016 | 69 | #2560 |
| 2015 | 53 | #3129 |
| 2014 | 75 | #2412 |
| 2013 | 54 | #3042 |
| 2012 | 59 | #2901 |
| 2011 | 46 | #3452 |
| 2010 | 48 | #3360 |
| 2009 | 38 | #4013 |
| 2008 | 36 | #4268 |
| 2007 | 32 | #4567 |
| 2006 | 27 | #5086 |
| 2005 | 23 | #5437 |
| 2004 | 9 | #10690 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7580 |
| 2002 | 12 | #8280 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10102 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elif a popular girl name?
Elif ranked #1921 among girls in 2025 with 101 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3129.
When was the name Elif most popular?
Elif peaked in 2024, when 115 American girls received the name (ranked #1753 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Elif?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 17,822 newborn American girls was named Elif. It scores 61/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.