By year
Most popular baby names in 2019
The names given most often to babies born in 2019. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
2019: changes since 2018
Girl names: compared with 2018
- No. 1: Zeynep (unchanged)
- New in the top 30: Lina (#22), Aysima (#26), Melek (#28)
- Biggest climbers: Öykü (19 → 9), Azra (13 → 5), Eslem (24 → 16), Ecrin (15 → 10), Asya (12 → 8)
- Biggest drops: Damla (21 → 30), Esila (18 → 25), Zehra (9 → 15), Hiranur (6 → 11), Meryem (8 → 12)
- Dropped out: Nisanur, Belinay, Hira
Boy names: compared with 2018
- No. 1: Yusuf (unchanged)
- New in the top 30: Miran (#8), Metehan (#27)
- Biggest climbers: Kerem (21 → 7), Alparslan (30 → 18), Hamza (15 → 9), Aras (23 → 20), Alperen (24 → 22)
- Biggest drops: Ertuğrul (19 → 29), Ali Asaf (7 → 14), Berat (17 → 24), Yiğit (10 → 16), Ayaz (18 → 23)
- Dropped out: Emirhan, Poyraz
Top girl names of 2019
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeynep A fragrant flowering tree | 13,146 | – |
| 2 | Elif Name of the Arabic alphabet's first letter | 8,288 | – |
| 3 | Defne Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree | 6,727 | – |
| 4 | Asel Honey, the sweet substance made by bees | 6,574 | ▲ 3 |
| 5 | Azra Virgin | 5,639 | ▲ 8 |
| 6 | Eylül September | 5,448 | ▼ 1 |
| 7 | Ebrar The righteous and virtuous | 4,781 | ▼ 3 |
| 8 | Asya The name of the continent Asia | 4,616 | ▲ 4 |
| 9 | Öykü Story | 4,266 | ▲ 10 |
| 10 | Ecrin Recompense, reward | 4,178 | ▲ 5 |
| 11 | Hiranur A combination of Hira and light | 4,142 | ▼ 5 |
| 12 | Meryem Beloved, loved one | 4,089 | ▼ 4 |
| 13 | Miray Lord of the moon | 4,029 | ▼ 3 |
| 14 | Duru Clear, pure | 3,713 | ▼ 3 |
| 15 | Zehra Radiant woman | 3,708 | ▼ 6 |
| 16 | Eslem Safer | 3,698 | ▲ 8 |
| 17 | Nehir River, large flowing stream | 3,686 | ▼ 3 |
| 18 | Zümra Group, community, company | 3,572 | ▼ 1 |
| 19 | Yağmur Rain falling as drops of water | 3,390 | ▼ 3 |
| 20 | İkra Read | 3,242 | ▲ 3 |
| 21 | Ela Hazel | 2,857 | ▲ 1 |
| 22 | Lina A kind of date palm | 2,758 | new |
| 23 | Alya High, exalted | 2,757 | ▼ 3 |
| 24 | Melisa Honeybee | 2,720 | ▲ 3 |
| 25 | Esila Late afternoon | 2,460 | ▼ 7 |
| 26 | Aysima Moonlike face | 2,447 | new |
| 27 | Derin Deep | 2,282 | ▼ 2 |
| 28 | Melek Spiritual being regarded as a divine messenger | 2,273 | new |
| 29 | Ayşe Living woman | 2,240 | ▼ 1 |
| 30 | Damla Small drop of liquid | 2,177 | ▼ 9 |
Top boy names of 2019
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yusuf May God add | 8,632 | – |
| 2 | Eymen Fortunate, auspicious | 7,494 | – |
| 3 | Miraç Means of ascent | 6,675 | ▲ 1 |
| 4 | Ömer Asaf A wish for longevity and one who brings together | 6,198 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | Ömer Life | 5,854 | – |
| 6 | Mustafa Chosen | 4,999 | – |
| 7 | Kerem Generosity, magnanimity, kindness | 4,471 | ▲ 14 |
| 8 | Miran Lords, emirs | 4,247 | new |
| 9 | Hamza Lion | 4,105 | ▲ 6 |
| 10 | Ahmet More praised | 4,074 | ▼ 2 |
| 11 | Mehmet Much praised | 4,010 | – |
| 12 | Ali High | 4,009 | – |
| 13 | Emir Commander, ruler | 3,991 | ▼ 4 |
| 14 | Ali Asaf One who is exalted and brings together | 3,933 | ▼ 7 |
| 15 | Muhammed Ali One who is much praised, exalted and eminent | 3,788 | ▼ 2 |
| 16 | Yiğit Brave, bold | 3,787 | ▼ 6 |
| 17 | Muhammed Much praised | 3,738 | ▼ 3 |
| 18 | Alparslan Valiant, courageous lion | 3,678 | ▲ 12 |
| 19 | Çınar Plane tree | 3,669 | ▼ 3 |
| 20 | Aras The name of the Aras River | 3,563 | ▲ 3 |
| 21 | Umut Hope, positive expectation for the future | 3,256 | ▲ 1 |
| 22 | Alperen Heroic spiritual figure | 3,251 | ▲ 2 |
| 23 | Ayaz Sharp dry cold under clear skies | 3,231 | ▼ 5 |
| 24 | Berat Absolution, deliverance | 3,095 | ▼ 7 |
| 25 | Yunus Emre A dove and a devoted friend | 3,049 | ▼ 5 |
| 26 | Mert Brave, honourable, true to one’s word | 2,956 | – |
| 27 | Metehan Mete Khan | 2,719 | new |
| 28 | İbrahim Traditionally, father of many peoples | 2,688 | ▼ 3 |
| 29 | Ertuğrul Heroic tuğrul | 2,647 | ▼ 10 |
| 30 | Deniz Sea, an extensive body of salt water | 2,560 | ▼ 2 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. Changes are against the 2018 list.
Guide
Understanding the names that stood out in 2019
The most popular Turkish baby names 2019 combine familiar leaders with names newly appearing in the published top group. This page describes nationwide choices for babies in Türkiye, rather than the linguistic origin of every name listed.
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Girls’ national leaders
According to TÜİK’s Türkiye-level data for 2019, Zeynep ranked first with 13,146, followed by Elif with 8,288 and Defne with 6,727.
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Boys’ national leaders
Yusuf headed the 2019 national boys’ list with 8,632, followed by Eymen with 7,494 and Miraç with 6,675.
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Published source
Source: TÜİK, Türkiye’s statistical institute, address-based population register, 2019, Türkiye level, top-30 lists.
What “new to the list” means
Compared with the preceding year’s published top-30 lists, Lina, Aysima and Melek entered the girls’ group, while Miran and Metehan entered the boys’ group. “New” describes their place within this published cutoff. It does not mean the names were newly created, first used in Türkiye or absent from earlier birth records. The 2018 ranking offers the relevant comparison point. When browsing rising names, keep that distinction in mind: entering a list and explaining the reasons behind a change are different questions.
Look beyond the leading names
The top Turkish names 2019 offer more detail than the leaders alone. Asel appears fourth in the girls’ ranking, while Asya appears eighth; Kerem and Miran occupy seventh and eighth in the boys’ list. Follow Asel to explore its Arabic origin and meaning, “honey, the sweet substance made by bees.” Asya means “the name of the continent Asia.” These meanings can help you explore the names, but the national counts do not show whether meaning influenced any particular family’s choice.
Read names as complete entries
Ömer Asaf and Ömer appear separately in the boys’ table, as do Ali Asaf, Muhammed Ali and Ali. Keep those distinctions when taking notes or building a shortlist: a combination’s count should not be assigned to either component. The double names guide helps you explore this format beyond the ranking. Readers outside Türkiye can also use the pronunciation guide to approach spellings such as Miraç and Ömer. Preserve the original spelling so that your notes continue to identify the same listed entry.
Comparing the 2019 results
- Use the preceding annual list when checking a top-30 entry claim.
- Describe Lina or Miran as new to the published group, not newly invented.
- Keep rank and count together when recording a result.
- Separate a name’s meaning from any explanation of its popularity.
Frequently asked questions
Which baby names ranked first in 2019?
TÜİK’s 2019 nationwide lists place Zeynep first for girls and Yusuf first for boys.
Was Metehan a newly created name in 2019?
Its entry into the boys’ top 30 does not establish that. Metehan means “Mete Khan; Mete the ruler”; the list records popularity, not the date a name originated.
Are these provincial rankings?
No. These figures are for Türkiye as a whole and should not be presented as results for a particular province.
Do notable people establish a national rank?
No. A sample of notable people is separate from the official TÜİK figures and cannot establish national baby-name popularity.