Boy name
Anka name meaning
“a great legendary bird”
Anka means “a great legendary bird.” Borrowed into Turkish from Arabic ʿanqāʾ, it names an extraordinary, elusive bird in Eastern storytelling traditions. In Türkiye it is used as a masculine name. Its concrete association is the Anka of tales and poetry, evoking immense wings and distant lands.
What does Anka mean?
A great legendary bird
In Turkish: efsanevi büyük kuş
Anka appears in tales and classical literature as an extraordinary bird beyond ordinary reach. Turkish storytelling often connects it with Simurg and Zümrüdüanka. These bird traditions have overlapped over time, but their details vary, and rebirth from ashes should not be assumed to belong to every version.
Origin of the name Anka
Borrowed into Turkish from Arabic ʿanqāʾ, the name of a wondrous, elusive bird in Middle Eastern storytelling.
| Linguistic origin | Arabic |
|---|---|
| In Turkic history and myth | Names from Turkic mythology |
| Is Anka in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | A · An |
How to pronounce Anka
| Syllables | 2 · 4 letters · 4-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /anka/ |
| Ottoman Turkish | عنقا |
| Arabic | عنقاء |
Is Anka a boy’s name?
Yes, Anka is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Anka does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Anka
Names with related meanings
FAQ about the name Anka
What is the meaning of Anka?
Anka means “a great legendary bird”. Borrowed into Turkish from Arabic ʿanqāʾ, the name of a wondrous, elusive bird in Middle Eastern storytelling.
Is Anka a boy’s name?
Yes, Anka is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Anka in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Anka nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Anka?
Anka is of Arabic origin.
How many syllables does Anka have?
Anka has 2 syllables and 4 letters.
How popular is the name Anka?
Anka does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 1 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm03154 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake