By year
Most popular baby names in 2018
The names given most often to babies born in 2018. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
Top girl names of 2018
| # | Name | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeynep A fragrant flowering tree | 14,183 |
| 2 | Elif Name of the Arabic alphabet's first letter | 9,893 |
| 3 | Defne Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree | 6,609 |
| 4 | Ebrar The righteous and virtuous | 6,576 |
| 5 | Eylül September | 5,748 |
| 6 | Hiranur A combination of Hira and light | 5,074 |
| 7 | Asel Honey, the sweet substance made by bees | 4,865 |
| 8 | Meryem Beloved, loved one | 4,786 |
| 9 | Zehra Radiant woman | 4,616 |
| 10 | Miray Lord of the moon | 4,578 |
| 11 | Duru Clear, pure | 4,424 |
| 12 | Asya The name of the continent Asia | 4,410 |
| 13 | Azra Virgin | 4,326 |
| 14 | Nehir River, large flowing stream | 4,140 |
| 15 | Ecrin Recompense, reward | 4,126 |
| 16 | Yağmur Rain falling as drops of water | 4,015 |
| 17 | Zümra Group, community, company | 3,712 |
| 18 | Esila Late afternoon | 3,383 |
| 19 | Öykü Story | 3,001 |
| 20 | Alya High, exalted | 2,991 |
| 21 | Damla Small drop of liquid | 2,966 |
| 22 | Ela Hazel | 2,956 |
| 23 | İkra Read | 2,937 |
| 24 | Eslem Safer | 2,741 |
| 25 | Derin Deep | 2,708 |
| 26 | Nisanur Light of women | 2,688 |
| 27 | Melisa Honeybee | 2,608 |
| 28 | Ayşe Living woman | 2,550 |
| 29 | Belinay Hawk and moon | 2,518 |
| 30 | Hira Name of a mountain and cave near Mecca | 2,497 |
Top boy names of 2018
| # | Name | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yusuf May God add | 9,583 |
| 2 | Eymen Fortunate, auspicious | 8,301 |
| 3 | Ömer Asaf A wish for longevity and one who brings together | 7,150 |
| 4 | Miraç Means of ascent | 6,682 |
| 5 | Ömer Life | 6,441 |
| 6 | Mustafa Chosen | 5,669 |
| 7 | Ali Asaf One who is exalted and brings together | 4,902 |
| 8 | Ahmet More praised | 4,821 |
| 9 | Emir Commander, ruler | 4,726 |
| 10 | Yiğit Brave, bold | 4,373 |
| 11 | Mehmet Much praised | 4,357 |
| 12 | Ali High | 4,321 |
| 13 | Muhammed Ali One who is much praised, exalted and eminent | 4,305 |
| 14 | Muhammed Much praised | 4,251 |
| 15 | Hamza Lion | 4,222 |
| 16 | Çınar Plane tree | 4,168 |
| 17 | Berat Absolution, deliverance | 3,973 |
| 18 | Ayaz Sharp dry cold under clear skies | 3,738 |
| 19 | Ertuğrul Heroic tuğrul | 3,628 |
| 20 | Yunus Emre A dove and a devoted friend | 3,579 |
| 21 | Kerem Generosity, magnanimity, kindness | 3,525 |
| 22 | Umut Hope, positive expectation for the future | 3,491 |
| 23 | Aras The name of the Aras River | 3,391 |
| 24 | Alperen Heroic spiritual figure | 3,133 |
| 25 | İbrahim Traditionally, father of many peoples | 3,027 |
| 26 | Mert Brave, honourable, true to one’s word | 3,019 |
| 27 | Emirhan A name combining emir and khan | 2,928 |
| 28 | Deniz Sea, an extensive body of salt water | 2,759 |
| 29 | Poyraz The cool, strong northeasterly wind | 2,664 |
| 30 | Alparslan Valiant, courageous lion | 2,645 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System.
Guide
Reading Türkiye’s baby-name choices for 2018
The most popular Turkish baby names 2018 show which given names appeared most often among babies in Türkiye that year. Here, “Turkish names” means names used in Türkiye, including names with roots in several languages.
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Leading girls’ names
According to TÜİK’s nationwide figures for 2018, Zeynep ranked first with 14,183, followed by Elif with 9,893 and Defne with 6,609.
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Leading boys’ names
In the same national list, Yusuf led with 9,583, ahead of Eymen with 8,301 and Ömer Asaf with 7,150.
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Source and scope
Source: TÜİK, Türkiye’s statistical institute, address-based population register, 2018, Türkiye level, top-30 lists. These are annual baby-name figures.
What the annual ranking tells you
Use this page as a snapshot of naming choices for babies in 2018. It does not measure how common a name was across everyone living in Türkiye, and it does not describe a particular province. The top Turkish names 2018 therefore answer a narrower question than a general popularity list: which names were most frequently recorded for that year’s babies? Explore baby-name rankings for the annual view, or consult name statistics when checking what a figure measures before comparing it with another table.
A shared ranking, different linguistic roots
Names can appear beside each other in a national ranking while having different linguistic histories. Zeynep is Arabic in origin and means “a fragrant flowering tree”; Defne has Greek roots and means “bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree.” Both feature near the top of the girls’ list. These descriptions concern the names themselves. Neither an origin label nor a dictionary meaning establishes the religion, ethnicity, background or personality of anyone who bears the name. Read meaning and popularity as separate kinds of information.
Keep double names intact
The boys’ ranking includes Ömer Asaf, Ali Asaf and Muhammed Ali alongside entries such as Ömer, Ali and Muhammed. Read each listed combination as its own entry: the figure beside Ömer Asaf should not be treated as the figure for Ömer alone. The double names guide provides a useful next step when exploring combinations. For readers unfamiliar with Turkish spelling, the pronunciation guide also helps when comparing names aloud. Preserve letters such as Ö, ç and ğ when copying a name from the table.
Using the 2018 table
- Record the year and Türkiye level whenever you reuse a figure.
- Keep the girls’ and boys’ rankings separate when noting positions.
- Copy double names in full, including the space between their parts.
- Check an individual entry for meaning rather than inferring it from rank.
Frequently asked questions
Which names led the national baby lists in 2018?
According to TÜİK’s 2018 Türkiye-level figures, Zeynep led the girls’ list and Yusuf led the boys’ list.
Does this show the most common names among all residents?
No. This page concerns baby names for 2018, so it should not be read as an all-ages population ranking.
Does a name outside the published list have no use?
No. Absence from a top-30 list does not establish that a name was unused or provide its count.
Can these figures explain why families chose a name?
No. Counts show recorded choices; they do not establish families’ reasons or beliefs.