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Most popular Turkish names
300 names
Ranked on TÜİK’s 2018–2025 newborn name lists (Türkiye and its 81 provinces) and its most common names in the population. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS. Boy Names only · Girl Names only
| # | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeynep | A fragrant flowering tree |
| 2 | Alya | High, exalted |
| 3 | Alparslan | Valiant, courageous lion |
| 4 | Defne | Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree |
| 5 | Gökçe | Sky-blue |
| 6 | Yusuf | May God add |
| 7 | Asel | Honey, the sweet substance made by bees |
| 8 | Göktuğ | A sky-blue ceremonial standard |
| 9 | Elif | Name of the Arabic alphabet's first letter |
| 10 | Umay | Protective female figure in ancient Turkic belief |
Most popular Turkish names: list with meanings
- Zeynep♀A fragrant flowering tree
- Alya♀High, exalted
- Alparslan♂Valiant, courageous lion
- Defne♀Bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree
- Gökçe♀Sky-blue
- Yusuf♂May God add
- Asel♀Honey, the sweet substance made by bees
- Göktuğ♂A sky-blue ceremonial standard
- Elif♀Name of the Arabic alphabet's first letter
- Umay♀Protective female figure in ancient Turkic belief
- Metehan♂Mete Khan
- Asya♀The name of the continent Asia
- Mustafa♂Chosen
- Mehmet♂Much praised
- Ömer♂Life
- Elisa♀God is my oath
- Ahmet♂More praised
- Kerem♂Generosity, magnanimity, kindness
- Ali♂High
- Zümra♀Group, community, company
- İnci♀Pearl
- Duru♀Clear, pure
- Miraç♂Means of ascent
- Miran♂Lords, emirs
- Eymen♂Fortunate, auspicious
- Meryem♀Beloved, loved one
- Miray♀Lord of the moon
- Atlas♂Mythological Titan who bears the heavens
- Aras♂The name of the Aras River
- Mihra♀Sun
- Lina♀A kind of date palm
- Aslan♂Lion
- Eylül♀September
- Yiğit♂Brave, bold
- Poyraz♂The cool, strong northeasterly wind
- Kuzey♂North
- Alperen♂Heroic spiritual figure
- Eflin♀
- Ela♀Hazel
- Nehir♀River, large flowing stream
- Güneş♀The sun
- Çınar♂Plane tree
- Aybars♂Compound of moon and leopard
- Ada♀İsland
- Hamza♂Lion
- Ceylin♀Gazelle
- Ayaz♂Sharp dry cold under clear skies
- Doğa♀Nature
- Arya♀Aria
- İpek♀Silk
- Emir♂Commander, ruler
- İkra♀Read
- Mert♂Brave, honourable, true to one’s word
- Masal♀Fairy tale
- Mira♀Wonderful, worthy of admiration
- Cihan♂World
- Yaman♂Formidable, tough
- Sare♀Princess
- Ayşe♀Living woman
- Fatma♀Woman who weans her child
- İbrahim♂Traditionally, father of many peoples
- Emine♀Trustworthy woman
- Zehra♀Radiant woman
- Hatice♀Girl born before her due time
- Ebrar♀The righteous and virtuous
- Muhammed♂Much praised
- Hüseyin♂Little beautiful one
- Azra♀Virgin
- Hasan♂Beautiful
- Yağmur♀Rain falling as drops of water
- Murat♂Desired thing
- Hiranur♀A combination of Hira and light
- Melek♀Spiritual being regarded as a divine messenger
- İsmail♂God has heard
- Öykü♀Story
- Ecrin♀Recompense, reward
- Eslem♀Safer
- Berat♂Absolution, deliverance
- Deniz♂♀Sea, an extensive body of salt water
- Umut♂Hope, positive expectation for the future
- Ertuğrul♂Heroic tuğrul
- Esila♀Late afternoon
- Ramazan♂The ninth lunar month, observed through fasting
- Osman♂Traditionally, a young bustard
- Efnan♀Branches, boughs
- Nisa♀Women
- Damla♀Small drop of liquid
- Emirhan♂A name combining emir and khan
- Merve♀Hard pale stone
- Melisa♀Honeybee
- Abdullah♂Servant of God
- Derin♀Deep
- Emre♂Friend
- Nisanur♀Light of women
- Fatih♂Opener
- Buğlem♀
- Hira♀Name of a mountain and cave near Mecca
- Belinay♀Hawk and moon
- Aysima♀Moonlike face
- Esra♀Night journey
- Kumsal♀Sandy shore
- Aden♀Delight
- Halil♂Close friend
- Burak♂Mount of the Night Journey
- Büşra♀Glad tidings
- Süleyman♂A name associated with peace and well-being
- Hakan♂Khagan
- Özlem♀Longing for reunion
- Furkan♂Criterion distinguishing truth from falsehood
- Adem♂Human being
- Kübra♀Greater
- Enes♂Companionship, friendliness, familiarity
- Rabia♀Fourth
- Kadir♂Capable
- Leyla♀A name associated with night and darkness
- Yasemin♀Jasmine, a plant with fragrant flowers
- Yasin♂The letters Ya and Sin
- Mahmut♂Praised
- Sultan♀Sovereign
- Recep♂The honored seventh month of the lunar calendar
Guide
Reading Turkish name rankings with the right context
Popular Turkish names look different depending on whether you are comparing newborn registrations or the wider population. This collection uses TÜİK newborn and population lists; TÜİK is the Turkish Statistical Institute, Türkiye’s official statistics authority.
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Leading girl’s name in the supplied year
According to TÜİK, Alya ranked first among newborn girls in Türkiye in 2025, with 8,739 registrations. Source: TÜİK, 2025, Türkiye, address-based population register, top-30 lists.
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Leading boy’s name in the supplied year
According to TÜİK, Alparslan ranked first among newborn boys in Türkiye in 2025, with 7,509 registrations. Source: TÜİK, 2025, Türkiye, address-based population register, top-30 lists.
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Keep the population group visible
A newborn ranking describes naming choices for that year. A population ranking answers a different question about names across the population.
Compare the national newborn results
According to TÜİK’s 2025 newborn data for Türkiye, the leading girls’ names were Alya (8,739), Defne (7,716), Gökçe (7,582), Zeynep (6,228) and Asel (5,855), in that order. The boys’ order was Alparslan (7,509), Göktuğ (6,029), Metehan (5,379), Yusuf (4,616) and Kerem (4,069). Source: TÜİK, 2025, Türkiye, address-based population register, top-30 lists. Consult the 2025 baby-name page with the year and national scope in view. These figures concern newborn names, rather than the most common names among people of all ages.
Ask what “most popular” is measuring
The phrase “most popular Turkish names” needs a population group, a place and a year to be precise. A name can appear in a newborn list without holding the same position in the population list. Likewise, a national result should not be presented as a province’s result. Use name statistics to keep the measure clear and province pages when the geographic question is local. A selection of notable people is a set of examples, not evidence for a national rank or count.
Follow a ranking with a meaning check
Rankings show frequency within their stated scope; they do not explain a name’s meaning or a family’s reason for choosing it. Alya means “high, exalted; an elevated place,” Defne means “bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree,” and Alparslan means “valiant, courageous lion.” Read those entries when comparing top Turkish baby names by meaning. A shared place in a ranking does not imply shared origins, beliefs or personal qualities, and the meaning of a name does not describe every person who bears it.
Checks to make before quoting a ranking
- Include TÜİK, the year and Türkiye or the named province in your citation.
- State whether the figures concern newborns or the population.
- Keep girls’ and boys’ rankings attached to their stated categories.
- Do not turn a notable-person sample into a national popularity claim.
- Check meanings separately from ranks and registration counts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source for these popularity figures?
Source: TÜİK, 2025, Türkiye, address-based population register, top-30 lists. The national figures quoted here concern newborn names.
Do newborn leaders also lead the population lists?
That cannot be assumed. Newborn and population lists describe different groups and must be read separately.
Can these national results describe my province?
No. Türkiye-level figures do not establish provincial ranks or counts. Use a separately identified provincial result.
Does a high rank explain why a name was chosen?
No. A rank records position within a specified list; it does not establish families’ motives or a bearer’s identity.