Elif is a Turkish name taken from the Arabic letter alif, the first letter of the alphabet, which is a single straight stroke; the name therefore suggests a girl who is "slender" and "tall" and, as the first letter, first in everything. Elif has been among the most popular girls' names in Turkey for years and is used by Turkish American families. It peaked at number 1755 in 2024 and ranks number 1915 in 2025.