Elif (name)

The origins of the name Elif arise from the Old Testament, see Aleph, Alpha and A, below for more. It is the symbol that unlocks many of the older religious Abrahamic texts.

During the revolutionary war in Turkey, which began in 1919, Atatürk started to refer to the brave women protecting the home front as "Elifs". Shortly after the war, women were granted the right to vote by the young and new Republic of Turkey, in 1923, well ahead of other nations. The name became popular in the years after the establishment of the new Turkey, symbolizing modernity that was inclusive and respectful of the past.

Elif is a common girls' name (particularly in Turkey) and Aleph is a Hebrew boys' name.

It is often erroneously attributed to one symbol or description, despite its varied origins.

The name Elif is usually used as a girls name. Last year it ranked 2,636th in the U.S. Social Security Administration list of most popular baby girl names.