By year
Most popular baby names in 2021
The names given most often to babies born in 2021. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
2021: changes since 2020
Girl names: compared with 2020
- No. 1: Zeynep (unchanged)
- New in the top 30: Masal (#14), Elisa (#16), Gökçe (#28), Güneş (#30)
- Biggest climbers: Lina (21 → 12), Asya (9 → 4), Alya (22 → 18), Zümra (11 → 8), Buğlem (26 → 23)
- Biggest drops: Öykü (19 → 27), Miray (14 → 20), Hiranur (16 → 22), Eslem (8 → 13), Zehra (15 → 19)
- Dropped out: Nisa, Melisa, Belinay
Boy names: compared with 2020
- No. 1: Yusuf (unchanged)
- New in the top 30: Poyraz (#13)
- Biggest climbers: Göktuğ (22 → 6), Aras (16 → 9), Alparslan (8 → 2), Mert (26 → 24), Umut (27 → 25)
- Biggest drops: Miran (19 → 30), Kerem (7 → 14), Hamza (9 → 15), Muhammed Ali (14 → 20), Ayaz (15 → 21)
- Dropped out: Berat, Deniz
Top girl names of 2021
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeynep A fragrant flowering tree | 10,035 | – |
| 2 | Elif Name of the Arabic alphabet's first letter | 6,433 | – |
| 3 | Asel Honey, the sweet substance made by bees | 6,421 | ▲ 1 |
| 4 | Asya The name of the continent Asia | 6,294 | ▲ 5 |
| 5 | Defne Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree | 5,783 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Nehir River, large flowing stream | 5,235 | ▲ 1 |
| 7 | Azra Virgin | 5,184 | ▼ 2 |
| 8 | Zümra Group, community, company | 4,828 | ▲ 3 |
| 9 | Eylül September | 4,419 | ▼ 3 |
| 10 | Ecrin Recompense, reward | 4,167 | – |
| 11 | Meryem Beloved, loved one | 3,635 | ▲ 1 |
| 12 | Lina A kind of date palm | 3,490 | ▲ 9 |
| 13 | Eslem Safer | 3,457 | ▼ 5 |
| 14 | Masal Fairy tale | 3,306 | new |
| 15 | Ebrar The righteous and virtuous | 3,262 | ▼ 2 |
| 16 | Elisa God is my oath | 3,248 | new |
| 17 | Ela Hazel | 3,155 | – |
| 18 | Alya High, exalted | 2,954 | ▲ 4 |
| 19 | Zehra Radiant woman | 2,924 | ▼ 4 |
| 20 | Miray Lord of the moon | 2,898 | ▼ 6 |
| 21 | Duru Clear, pure | 2,770 | ▼ 1 |
| 22 | Hiranur A combination of Hira and light | 2,608 | ▼ 6 |
| 23 | Buğlem | 2,604 | ▲ 3 |
| 24 | Yağmur Rain falling as drops of water | 2,601 | – |
| 25 | Ada İsland | 2,595 | ▲ 3 |
| 26 | Esila Late afternoon | 2,324 | ▲ 1 |
| 26 | İkra Read | 2,324 | ▼ 3 |
| 27 | Öykü Story | 2,207 | ▼ 8 |
| 28 | Gökçe Sky-blue | 2,197 | new |
| 29 | Melek Spiritual being regarded as a divine messenger | 2,178 | ▼ 4 |
Top boy names of 2021
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yusuf May God add | 7,069 | – |
| 2 | Alparslan Valiant, courageous lion | 6,206 | ▲ 6 |
| 3 | Miraç Means of ascent | 5,682 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Ömer Asaf A wish for longevity and one who brings together | 5,473 | – |
| 5 | Eymen Fortunate, auspicious | 5,136 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Göktuğ A sky-blue ceremonial standard | 4,888 | ▲ 16 |
| 7 | Ömer Life | 4,764 | ▼ 2 |
| 8 | Mustafa Chosen | 4,314 | ▼ 2 |
| 9 | Aras The name of the Aras River | 4,124 | ▲ 7 |
| 10 | Ali Asaf One who is exalted and brings together | 3,941 | – |
| 11 | Ahmet More praised | 3,645 | ▲ 1 |
| 12 | Ali High | 3,611 | ▼ 1 |
| 13 | Poyraz The cool, strong northeasterly wind | 3,594 | new |
| 14 | Kerem Generosity, magnanimity, kindness | 3,588 | ▼ 7 |
| 15 | Hamza Lion | 3,579 | ▼ 6 |
| 16 | Muhammed Much praised | 3,433 | ▼ 1 |
| 17 | Çınar Plane tree | 3,363 | ▲ 1 |
| 18 | Mehmet Much praised | 3,328 | ▼ 5 |
| 19 | Metehan Mete Khan | 3,289 | ▲ 1 |
| 20 | Muhammed Ali One who is much praised, exalted and eminent | 3,261 | ▼ 6 |
| 21 | Ayaz Sharp dry cold under clear skies | 3,034 | ▼ 6 |
| 22 | Emir Commander, ruler | 2,938 | ▼ 5 |
| 23 | Yiğit Brave, bold | 2,846 | – |
| 24 | Mert Brave, honourable, true to one’s word | 2,820 | ▲ 2 |
| 25 | Umut Hope, positive expectation for the future | 2,694 | ▲ 2 |
| 26 | Yunus Emre A dove and a devoted friend | 2,632 | ▼ 5 |
| 27 | İbrahim Traditionally, father of many peoples | 2,472 | ▲ 2 |
| 28 | Alperen Heroic spiritual figure | 2,462 | ▼ 3 |
| 29 | Kuzey North | 2,435 | ▼ 5 |
| 30 | Miran Lords, emirs | 2,360 | ▼ 11 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. Changes are against the 2020 list.
Guide
Exploring the shape of the 2021 baby-name lists
The most popular Turkish baby names 2021 show a varied set of names used for babies across Türkiye. The national ranking is useful for comparing recorded choices, while individual name entries answer different questions about meaning and origin.
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Girls’ national ranking
According to TÜİK’s Türkiye-level figures for 2021, Zeynep led with 10,035, followed by Elif with 6,433 and Asel with 6,421.
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Boys’ national ranking
Yusuf led the 2021 boys’ list with 7,069, followed by Alparslan with 6,206 and Miraç with 5,682.
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Where the figures come from
Source: TÜİK, Türkiye’s statistical institute, address-based population register, 2021, Türkiye level, top-30 lists.
The detail behind the girls’ leading group
Elif and Asel occupy neighboring positions with closely spaced counts, while Asya and Defne complete the leading group shown here. Reading the figures helps preserve that detail instead of reducing the page to a single winning name. Elif is Arabic in origin and means “name of the Arabic alphabet’s first letter.” Asel is also Arabic in origin and means “honey, the sweet substance made by bees.” Shared linguistic origin does not make the names interchangeable, and it says nothing about the identity or beliefs of their bearers.
Names entering the published group
Masal, Elisa, Gökçe and Güneş entered the girls’ top 30 compared with the preceding year; Poyraz entered the boys’ top 30. Consult the 2020 ranking for that comparison. These are changes at the published threshold, so they do not establish that the names were previously unused. One entrant, Gökçe, has Turkish roots and means “sky-blue; beautiful, pleasing.” Its dictionary meaning and its appearance in the annual list are separate facts. Neither tells us what prompted a particular family to choose it.
Explore the boys’ list without inferring a cause
Alparslan appears second and Göktuğ sixth in the boys’ ranking, alongside Yusuf, Miraç and the double name Ömer Asaf. Alparslan means “valiant, courageous lion,” while Göktuğ means “a sky-blue ceremonial standard”; both names have Turkish roots. Their positions describe recorded use, not the beliefs, regional background or character of the children bearing them. When discussing the top Turkish names 2021, distinguish the observable result from a proposed explanation. The published counts alone cannot establish cultural influences or families’ motivations.
Reading the 2021 lists carefully
- Keep the counts beside Elif and Asel when comparing their positions.
- Check the full top-30 comparison before describing a name as an entrant.
- Preserve the spelling of Gökçe, Güneş and Göktuğ in your notes.
- Use a name’s meaning to understand the entry, not to describe a child.
Frequently asked questions
Which names led the 2021 baby rankings?
TÜİK’s 2021 nationwide figures place Zeynep first for girls and Yusuf first for boys.
Where did Asya appear?
Asya ranked fourth in the 2021 national girls’ list with 6,294. The name means “the name of the continent Asia.”
Was Poyraz new to use in Türkiye?
The supplied comparison only establishes that Poyraz entered the boys’ top 30 relative to the preceding year. It does not establish first use.
Do these figures describe individual provinces?
No. They describe Türkiye as a whole; a provincial claim requires figures for that province and year.