Unisex name · Yoruba
Ife
“love”
Vibes
Explore Ife further
Similar-feel alternatives, or middle-name candidates that pair well with Ife — both ranked by the same scoring system (vibe overlap, syllable rhythm, origin compatibility).
About the name
Ife is Yoruba — "love" — and also the name of Ile-Ife, the sacred city where Yoruba cosmology says the world was created: love and the origin of everything, sharing three letters.
Rare in American data, Ife is among the shortest names anywhere to carry both a virtue and a holy city.
Two syllables (EE-feh). It pairs well with fuller middles (Ife Marguerite, Ife Alexander). On our vibe map it is Cultural Fusion at Soft & Dreamy warmth with Modern Minimalist mass — love, at the source.
More Yoruba names
Ife sits in our Yoruba set — these share its roots.
All Yoruba names →Ife — common questions
Is Ife a boy or girl name?
Ife is a unisex name — it is given to boys and girls alike, and we list it that way (Yoruba origin).
What does the name Ife mean?
Ife means “love” of Yoruba origin. Ife is Yoruba — "love" — and also the name of Ile-Ife, the sacred city where Yoruba cosmology says the world was created: love and the origin of everything, sharing three letters.
Where does the name Ife come from?
Ife is Yoruba in origin. Rare in American data, Ife is among the shortest names anywhere to carry both a virtue and a holy city.
How popular is Ife?
Ife did not make the top 1,000 boys' or girls' names in US Social Security Administration data for 2025, which makes it genuinely rare in the US.
Bring the name into the room
A couple of nice things named Ife you might want for the nursery.