Leif - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Leif

Leif (pronounced “layf”) springs from Old Norse roots—Leifr meaning “heir” or “beloved descendant”—and carries the salty air of Viking long-ships wherever it travels. History first paints the name on Leif Erikson, the intrepid explorer who crossed the Atlantic a good half-millennium before Columbus; today, parents choose it for boys they imagine pushing boundaries with the same quiet confidence. In India, where folklore celebrates the wanderings of Odysseus-like figures from the Ramayana to the epics of the Silk Route, Leif feels right at home: a compact, two-syllable passport that moves as easily from a Scandinavian fjord to a Bengaluru startup as a tabla rhythm slides into jazz. Though his rankings in the United States have hovered in the comfortable 500–700 range for decades, that steady heartbeat only adds to the charm—Leif is familiar enough to avoid puzzling grandparents, yet uncommon enough to stand out in a classroom roll call. Think of it as naming your little one after a fresh monsoon leaf: bright, adventurous, and ready to catch the next breeze.