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Latif
How to Pronounce Latif
Pronounced luh-TEEF /læˈtiːf/Medium
Meaning: Latif comes from the Arabic latif, meaning 'gentle', 'kind' or 'subtle'. Al-Latif, 'the Subtle One' or 'the Gentle', is one of the ninety-nine names of God in Islam, which gives the name deep resonance. It is a long-established Arabic name, not a coinage, and reached U.S. records with Muslim and African American Muslim families.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Latif is a genuine Arabic name meaning 'gentle' or 'subtle', not an invented one. Its standing comes partly from al-Latif being one of the ninety-nine names of God, and it entered American use through Muslim and African American Muslim communities in the later twentieth century.
In the United States it has stayed uncommon but persistent, only a couple dozen boys a year around its high in 1991, with use lasting into the twenty-twenties rather than spiking and vanishing. It reads clearly as a meaning-rich heritage name.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Latif mean?
It is an Arabic name meaning 'gentle', 'kind', or 'subtle', and one of the divine names in Islam.
How do you pronounce Latif?
It's said luh-TEEF /læˈtiːf/.
Is Latif a boy or girl name?
Latif is used as a boy's name.
Is Latif a popular name?
No, it has always been rare in the United States, a heritage Arabic name used quietly but steadily since the nineteen-seventies.