Provinces
Most popular names in Ankara
The names given most often to babies born in Ankara, and the most common names in the province. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
Ankara at a glance
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 girl name was Gökçe (615 babies). Nationally it ranked #3.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 32 girl names (with ties); 26 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The girl name that climbed most since 2018 is Alya, from #16 to #3. 17 names in today’s top 30 were not in the 2018 list.
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 boy name was Göktuğ (529 babies). Nationally it ranked #2.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 31 boy names (with ties); 22 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The boy name that climbed most since 2018 is Alparslan, from #30 to #2. 12 names in today’s top 30 were not in the 2018 list.
- The most common names in the province’s population are Fatma (64,141 people) and Mustafa (65,806 people); the most common surname is Yılmaz.
Top girl names in Ankara, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gökçe | 615 | ▲ 4 |
| 2 | Defne | 500 | ▼ 1 |
| 3 | Alya | 485 | ▲ 12 |
| 4 | Umay | 428 | ▲ 3 |
| 5 | Asya | 368 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Zeynep | 316 | ▼ 2 |
| 7 | Asel | 296 | ▼ 5 |
| 8 | İnci | 290 | – |
| 9 | Duru | 279 | ▼ 3 |
| 10 | Güneş | 257 | ▲ 4 |
| 11 | İpek | 236 | ▲ 2 |
| 12 | Miray | 231 | ▲ 5 |
| 13 | Doğa | 201 | ▼ 3 |
| 14 | Mihra | 198 | ▲ 2 |
| 15 | Elif | 192 | ▼ 4 |
| 16 | Lina | 182 | ▼ 4 |
| 17 | Ela | 166 | ▲ 4 |
| 17 | Elisa | 166 | ▲ 1 |
| 18 | Ada | 163 | ▲ 1 |
| 19 | Zümra | 155 | ▼ 10 |
| 20 | Eylül | 146 | ▲ 6 |
| 21 | Beren | 142 | ▲ 8 |
| 22 | Ceylin | 131 | new |
| 23 | Nehir | 129 | ▲ 4 |
| 24 | Mira | 126 | ▲ 2 |
| 25 | İlay | 123 | new |
| 26 | Ece | 122 | new |
| 27 | Aybüke | 120 | new |
| 27 | Sare | 120 | new |
| 28 | Parla | 118 | new |
Top boy names in Ankara, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Göktuğ | 529 | ▲ 1 |
| 2 | Alparslan | 472 | ▼ 1 |
| 3 | Metehan | 360 | ▲ 1 |
| 4 | Kerem | 324 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | Atlas | 237 | ▲ 2 |
| 6 | Aybars | 217 | ▲ 2 |
| 7 | Kuzey | 209 | ▲ 5 |
| 8 | Yiğit | 200 | ▲ 6 |
| 9 | Aras | 197 | – |
| 10 | Aslan | 185 | ▼ 5 |
| 11 | Çınar | 183 | ▲ 7 |
| 12 | Yusuf | 180 | ▼ 2 |
| 13 | Ömer Asaf | 179 | ▼ 7 |
| 14 | Ömer | 177 | ▼ 3 |
| 15 | Alperen | 167 | – |
| 16 | Kaan | 155 | ▲ 7 |
| 17 | Poyraz | 150 | – |
| 18 | Miran | 146 | ▲ 8 |
| 19 | Miraç | 141 | ▼ 3 |
| 20 | Ege | 137 | ▲ 4 |
| 21 | Yağız | 133 | ▲ 9 |
| 22 | Altay | 129 | new |
| 23 | Uras | 125 | ▼ 1 |
| 24 | Asil | 122 | new |
| 25 | Mert | 121 | ▼ 4 |
| 26 | Barlas | 117 | ▲ 1 |
| 26 | Karan | 117 | ▼ 6 |
| 27 | Mete | 114 | ▼ 1 |
| 28 | Ayaz | 113 | ▼ 9 |
| 29 | Eymen | 111 | ▼ 16 |
Names that stand out in Ankara
In Ankara’s 2025 top 30 but not in the national top 30.
The No. 1 names, year by year
| Year | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Gökçe | Göktuğ |
| 2024 | Defne | Alparslan |
| 2023 | Defne | Alparslan |
| 2022 | Defne | Alparslan |
| 2021 | Zeynep | Göktuğ |
| 2020 | Zeynep | Ömer Asaf |
| 2019 | Zeynep | Eymen |
| 2018 | Zeynep | Eymen |
Most common female names in Ankara
| # | Name | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatma | 64,141 |
| 2 | Ayşe | 49,570 |
| 3 | Zeynep | 47,224 |
| 4 | Hatice | 44,283 |
| 5 | Emine | 39,676 |
| 6 | Elif | 36,272 |
| 7 | Merve | 22,623 |
| 8 | Esra | 18,401 |
| 9 | Özlem | 17,591 |
| 10 | Yasemin | 17,370 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. Population and surname lists are for 2025. All provinces →
Guide
Putting Ankara’s latest naming choices in context
Popular baby names in Ankara can look quite different from the names most often recorded across the province’s population. The latest newborn lists and the annual leaders offer complementary views of recent choices, provided each figure stays attached to its year and scope.
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The latest leaders
According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level figures for Ankara, Gökçe led among newborn girls with 615 and Göktuğ among newborn boys with 529.
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A change in both leading positions
TÜİK’s Ankara province-level lists show Defne and Alparslan leading in 2024, followed by Gökçe and Göktuğ in 2025.
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Population surname figures
According to TÜİK’s 2025 Ankara province-level data, Yılmaz led surnames with 88,766, followed by Şahin with 62,512 and Yıldırım with 52,576.
Exploring the names behind the latest ranking
According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level figures for Ankara, Defne followed Gökçe among newborn girls with 500, then Alya with 485 and Umay with 428. Among boys, Alparslan followed Göktuğ with 472, ahead of Metehan with 360 and Kerem with 324. The entries also offer different meanings to explore. Defne means “bay laurel, an aromatic evergreen tree,” while Alparslan means “valiant, courageous lion.” Such meanings describe the names; they do not establish qualities or expectations for the children who bear them.
Following the shift from earlier leaders
TÜİK’s Ankara province-level series shows Zeynep leading the girls’ baby-name list from 2018 through 2021, then Defne from 2022 through 2024. Gökçe takes the leading position in 2025. Among boys, Eymen led in 2018 and 2019, Ömer Asaf in 2020, and Göktuğ in 2021. Alparslan then led from 2022 through 2024 before Göktuğ returned in 2025. The sequence shows who led each year, without explaining every movement below first place. Browse baby-name statistics and the methodology for context when comparing lists.
Using the population list for a different question
Searching for the most common names in Ankara, Turkey, calls for the population figures. According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level data, Fatma led female names with 64,141, followed by Ayşe with 49,570 and Zeynep with 47,224. Mustafa led male names with 65,806, ahead of Mehmet with 60,577 and Ahmet with 47,447. Zeynep therefore appears in both the population picture and the recent baby-name lists, with different positions and counts. These measures answer different questions, so keep the population and newborn labels visible when taking notes.
Useful ways to compare Ankara’s names
- Keep Ankara’s province-level scope attached to each figure.
- Separate a change of leader from a claim about every name’s popularity.
- Use meanings to compare names after checking their statistical context.
- Preserve the spelling of Gökçe, Göktuğ and Yiğit when creating a shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Are these figures national totals?
No. The figures cited here are for Ankara province in the stated year. They should not be presented as totals for Türkiye.
Where do the official figures come from?
Source: TÜİK, the Turkish Statistical Institute, address-based population register, top-30 lists. This identifies the statistical source separately from individual name meanings.
Was Göktuğ a new leader in the supplied series?
No. TÜİK’s Ankara province-level figures also record Göktuğ leading among newborn boys in 2021 with 436.