Given name & surname
Saif
“wielding a sword of faith”
Saif is a variant of Seif. One Arabic interpretation is “wielding a sword of faith.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Saif is a variant of Seif. One Arabic interpretation is “wielding a sword of faith.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Saif is a variant of Seif. An origin associated with Seif is Arabic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Arabic سَيْف (sayf, “sword, scimitar”); its root is Arabic س ي ف.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1978. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Saif through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,526
- 2,526 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 147 babies
- 2025
- 147
- #1,320 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +26%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 147 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,320 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,244 as a first name in 2020; 1,072 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Saif’s family of names
Saif has a related form in Seif. In English usage, Saif as a surname has an alternative spelling in Seif. In English usage, Saif as a surname has a related form in Seif.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Saif
- Saif Saaeed ShaheenQatari-Kenyan long-distance runnerborn 1982
- Saif NabeelIraqi singerborn 1986
- Saif Abu KeshekPalestinian activist
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Saif, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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>99% boys
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“resembling a falcon”
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Sylas
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Ayaan
Ayaan is a masculine given name.
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Aveer
>99% boys
Tzvi
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Sardar
Sardar is a surname from Persian.
>99% boys