Arif means “knowing”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
- Arif is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 4 letters.
What does Arif mean?
Arif is a male name from the Arabic ʿārif, 'knowing', the active participle of a verb meaning 'to know'. Turkish received it through Ottoman Turkish, and Uzbek has the same name as Orif (Ориф).[1,2,4,5]
Meaning themes: Wisdom and knowledge
Arif in Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir
What does Arif mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Arif. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “knowing” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1,6]
What does Arif mean in Uzbek?
In Uzbek the name is written Orif and Ориф. No separate Uzbek gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “knowing” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[2]
What does Arif mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Arif. Here it is glossed as “knowing”[1,3]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
Where does the name Arif come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic ʿārif; Turkish through Ottoman Turkish.[1,2]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic عَارِف (‘knowing’).[1]✓ Documented
Which languages use the name Arif?
Arif is used as a given name in Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Arif across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | ArifLatin | Boy | same as above: “knowing” | Documented[1,6] |
| Uzbek | OrifLatin ОрифCyrillic, variant | Boy | same as above: “knowing” | Documented[2] |
| Azerbaijani | ArifLatin | Boy | “knowing” | Documented[1] |
| Tatar | ГарифCyrillic | Boy | “knowing” | Documented[5] |
| Bashkir | ҒарифCyrillic | Boy | “knowing” | Documented[4] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Arif
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arif[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| Orif[2] | Uzbek | Latin | Native spelling |
| Ориф[2] | Uzbek | Cyrillic | Variant |
| Arif[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Гариф[5] | Tatar | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Ğärif[5] | Tatar | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
| Ғариф[4] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Ğarif[4] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Names related to Arif
Sibling names for Arif
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Arif rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- HazımBoy“intelligent, resolute; cautious, thorough; firmly determined”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme wisdom and knowledge
- BilgeUnisex“wise”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme wisdom and knowledge
- ZekiBoy“intelligent, pure; beautiful”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme wisdom and knowledge
- HikmetBoy“wisdom, knowledge”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme wisdom and knowledge
- LokmanBoy“Luqman, a sage mentioned in the Qur'an”same language (turkish, uzbek) · also shares the theme wisdom and knowledge
- SeyyalGirl“synonym of akışkan”same language (turkish)
- MuteberGirl“esteemed, worthy of respect, reputable”same language (turkish)
- TaliBoy“Of secondary degree, ancillary.”same language (turkish)
Common questions about Arif
What does the name Arif mean?
Arif means “knowing”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
Is Arif a girl's or a boy's name?
Arif is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: boys; Uzbek: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Tatar: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does Arif come from?
Arif is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Arif?
Arif is recorded for Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Arif spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Arif (Latin), Orif (Latin), Ориф (Cyrillic), Гариф (Cyrillic), Ғариф (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Arif have?
Arif has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 4 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Arif”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 91561496. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish: from Arabic عَارِف 'knowing', active participle of عَرَفَ 'to know'; classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; classified as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section; listed as a male given name in the Turkish section (+5 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Orif”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 80506480. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Uzbek: borrowed from Arabic عَارِف 'knowing'; classified as a male given name in the Uzbek section; listed as a male given name in the Uzbek section; borrowed from Arabic (+2 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “عارف”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93327994. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic adjective knowing; acquainted; noun expert, connoisseur; Arabic عَارِف ‘knowing’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Ғариф”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 82085395. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Bashkir section; etymology states: Borrowed from Arabic عَارِف (ʕārif, “knowing”), active participle of عَرَفَ (ʕarafa, “to know”); listed as a male given name in the Bashkir section; headword of the Bashkir given-name entry (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Гариф”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 71477375. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Tatar section; etymology states: Borrowed from Arabic عَارِف (ʕārif, “knowing”), active participle of عَرَفَ (ʕarafa, “to know”); listed as a male given name in the Tatar section; headword of the Tatar given-name entry (+1 more)
- Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q13081267 (Arif, male given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2555777415. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata given-name item lists Turkish under P407
Suggest a correction
Found an error or have a better source? Suggestions are checked against the sources and never change the page automatically.