Elif
Girl name · #1921 in 2025 · Very rare
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. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elif against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elif in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Elif is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Elif will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Elif is most common
State-level data for Elif is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
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. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
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.