'F' ultimately originates from the Semitic letter 'waw' (Phoenician), where the symbol likely meant 'hook' or 'peg'.

'waw' passed into Greek as digamma (ϝ, pronounced /w/), then via Etruscan into the early Latin alphabet where it evolved in shape and value into the letter 'F' used in modern English; the English name 'ef' comes through Old French and Latin letter-naming traditions.

Originally the ancestor letter represented a /w/ sound in early alphabets; over time the letter's form and pronunciation shifted and in Latin/English it denotes the /f/ sound and functions as the letter name 'ef'.