MEANING & HISTORY
What does Leif mean?
Leif continues Old Norse Leifr, related to an inherited word for what is left or handed down, hence heir or inheritor. The historical family of meanings includes a remnant rather than an English tree leaf.
Leif Eriksson is a well-known bearer, but the name predates his biography. Its spelling should not be translated by resemblance to the English word leaf.
References for this explanation
Pronunciation & syllables
A dictionary pronunciation or syllable division has not been verified for this exact spelling. Use the synthetic reading as a starting point and confirm the intended pronunciation with the family.
Origin and name formation
Language-specific accounts from the dictionary. A shared spelling can have more than one history.
CebuanoEtymology & source
Ultimately from Old Norse Leifr (“relic", "inheritor”).
a male given name from the Germanic languages
Adapted from Wiktionary contributors via Kaikki/Wiktextract. Source accounts remain in their original English; editorial summaries and filters are adapted. Attribution and downloads
PSA · OFFICIAL BIRTH RECORDS
Leif in the birth records
Exact spelling and stated year in the published name tables. Read the counts as individual snapshots.
Tables included: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2016 fact sheet lists five names per sex; the later tables include ten. Missing counts are not inferred. Sex categories follow the official tables, independently of dictionary gender labels. Explore the official tables →
Similar names to Leif
Names with a similar opening or ending, ordered by spelling distance. Similar spelling does not imply the same meaning or origin.
Names in this collection
- Lei♂♀Dutch familiar form of Leo; Latin lion in that route
- Le·Dutch familiar form in the Leonhard family
- Lea·Form of Leah; biblical name with disputed root
- Leah♀Biblical Hebrew Le’ah, often linked with weary
- Leal·As a Portuguese or Galician word: loyal or faithful
- Lee♂♀Meadow; in the English surname-derived route
- Leila♀Night
- Lelia·Italian form of the Roman name Laelia
What rhymes with Leif?
No dictionary-confirmed rhyme match is available for this spelling in the current catalogue.
Explore Leif further
Follow the sources
- Wiktionary contributors — Leif (Cebuano) (opens in a new tab)
Explicit given-name sense and separately attributed etymology; no birth-frequency claim.
- Wiktionary: Leif (opens in a new tab)
Personal-name formation and etymological relationships; imported dictionary account consulted.
- Behind the Name: leif (opens in a new tab)
Independent onomastic comparison and qualifications to the proposed origin.