Elif means “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish and Kyrgyz.
- Elif is a name of Arabic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish and Kyrgyz.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 4 letters.
What does Elif mean?
Literally: Arabic ʾalif
Literal meaning
Elif is a Turkish female name taken from alif, the Arabic name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. Wiktionary notes that the letter name is related to Greek alpha, and the Turkish noun elif still refers to the same letter.[1]
Elif in Turkish and Kyrgyz
What does Elif mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Elif. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1,4]
What does Elif mean in Kyrgyz?
In Kyrgyz the name is written Элиф and Elif (common romanization). No separate Kyrgyz gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[5]
Where does the name Elif come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From the Arabic letter name ʾalif; the Turkish entry compares Greek alpha.[1]✓ Documented
Which languages use the name Elif?
Elif is used as a given name in Turkish and Kyrgyz. 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.
Elif across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | ElifLatin | Girl | same as above: “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet” | Documented[1,4] |
| Kyrgyz | ЭлифCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet” | Documented[5] |
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 Elif
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.
Sibling names for Elif
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 Elif rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- MüzahirBoy“helper”same language (turkish)
- SevkalUnisex“stay loved”same language (turkish)
- AbdüssamiBoy“servant of the All-Hearing”same language (turkish)
- BendeşBoy“peer, equal”same language (turkish)
- FekahetGirl“jocularity, good humour”same language (turkish)
- ŞahbeyBoy“esteemed, exalted one”same language (turkish)
- HayırBoy“goodness; charity”same language (turkish)
- BuluttekinUnisex“cloud prince”same language (turkish)
Common questions about Elif
What does the name Elif mean?
Elif means “alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish and Kyrgyz.
Is Elif a girl's or a boy's name?
Elif is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Turkish: girls; Kyrgyz: girls.
Where does Elif come from?
Elif is of Arabic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Elif?
Elif is recorded for Turkish and Kyrgyz. 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 Elif spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Elif (Latin), Элиф (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Elif have?
Elif 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 “Elif”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 85380045. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish name from Arabic أَلِف 'alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet', cognate with Greek ἄλφα; classified as a female given name in the Turkish section; listed as a female given name in the Turkish section; derived from Arabic أَلِف (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ألف”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93616880. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic noun: name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “elif”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93001943. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish noun: letter of the Arabic alphabet ا
- Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q21069201 (Elif, female given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2548440864. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata given-name item lists Turkish under P407
- Wikipedia contributors. Элиф (ысым) (ky.wikipedia.org). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 518129. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: listed as a kyrgyz given name in Элиф (ысым); title spelling Elif in Элиф (ысым)
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