Elif
Girl name · #1921 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Elif? In official American birth records, Elif has been tracked continuously since 1977, giving it 48 years of documented American history.
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: Official national birth records.
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
How old is the name Elif?
In official American birth records, the name Elif first appeared in 1977 (over 48 years ago), when 6 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 48 years.
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: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.