Khalief

Khalief is a masculine given name of Arabic origin. It is a variant transliteration of khalifa or khalīf, meaning successor, deputy, or steward. The root refers to leadership and succession, and khalifa historically designated the leaders of a caliphate.

In English-speaking and diaspora communities, Khalief is used as a personal name. Spelling variants include Khalif, Khalifa, Kalief, Kaliph, Kalifa, and Khaleef. The form Khalief often reflects attempts to preserve a pronounced long e sound or to approximate Arabic pronunciation in non-Arabic writing. In Arabic script, the root is خَلِيفَة.

Cultural usage: The name is typically given to boys. It is more common as a given name than a surname, and it occurs in various Muslim-majority and immigrant communities.

Variants and related names: Khalifa, Khalid, Kalief, Kalifa. Related terms include Caliph and Caliphate.

Notable people: There are no widely recognized public figures with the exact spelling Khalief. Related names include Kalief (as in Kalief Browder) and Khalifa, which have distinct spellings.

See also: Caliph, Khalifa, Caliphate.