Provinces
Most popular names in Ardahan
The names given most often to babies born in Ardahan, and the most common names in the province. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
Ardahan at a glance
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 girl name was Asel (12 babies). Nationally it ranked #5.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 19 girl names; 14 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The girl name that climbed most since 2018 is Gökçe, from #8 to #2. 11 names in today’s top 30 were not in the 2018 list.
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 boy name was Alparslan (10 babies), first for 2 years running. Nationally it ranked #1.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 23 boy names; 16 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The boy name that climbed most since 2018 is Metehan, from #6 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 (564 people) and Murat (545 people); the most common surname is Yılmaz.
Top girl names in Ardahan, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asel | 12 | ▲ 3 |
| 2 | Gökçe | 9 | ▲ 2 |
| 3 | Alya | 8 | new |
| 4 | Ada | 6 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Defne | 6 | ▼ 2 |
| 4 | Duru | 6 | new |
| 4 | Elisa | 6 | ▼ 2 |
| 5 | Doğa | 5 | ▼ 2 |
| 5 | Kumsal | 5 | ▼ 3 |
| 5 | Öykü | 5 | new |
| 6 | Ahsen | 4 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Lina | 4 | ▼ 4 |
| 6 | Mihra | 4 | ▼ 4 |
| 6 | Umay | 4 | new |
| 7 | Asel Lina | 3 | ▼ 3 |
| 7 | Evin | 3 | new |
| 7 | İnci | 3 | ▼ 4 |
| 7 | Nehir | 3 | new |
| 7 | Zeynep | 3 | ▼ 5 |
Top boy names in Ardahan, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alparslan | 10 | – |
| 2 | Atlas | 7 | ▲ 1 |
| 2 | Metehan | 7 | ▲ 1 |
| 3 | Miraç | 6 | ▲ 2 |
| 4 | Çınar | 5 | new |
| 4 | Göktuğ | 5 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Mustafa | 5 | new |
| 5 | Altay | 4 | new |
| 5 | Ateş | 4 | new |
| 5 | Aybars | 4 | new |
| 5 | Cihangir | 4 | new |
| 5 | Muhammed Ali | 4 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | Ömer | 4 | new |
| 5 | Ömer Asaf | 4 | ▼ 2 |
| 5 | Poyraz | 4 | new |
| 6 | Ali | 3 | new |
| 6 | Ali Asaf | 3 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Aras | 3 | new |
| 6 | Egemen | 3 | new |
| 6 | Kerem | 3 | ▼ 3 |
| 6 | Miran | 3 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Uras | 3 | new |
| 6 | Yiğit Ali | 3 | new |
Names that stand out in Ardahan
In Ardahan’s 2025 top 30 but not in the national top 30.
The No. 1 names, year by year
| Year | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Asel | Alparslan |
| 2024 | Zümra | Alparslan |
| 2023 | Asel | Göktuğ |
| 2022 | Defne | Alparslan |
| 2021 | Zeynep | Aras |
| 2020 | Zeynep | Miraç |
| 2019 | Zeynep | Miraç |
| 2018 | Eylül | Aras |
Most common female names in Ardahan
| # | Name | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatma | 564 |
| 2 | Zeynep | 473 |
| 3 | Songül | 461 |
| 4 | Elif | 389 |
| 5 | Ayşe | 388 |
| 6 | Hatice | 291 |
| 7 | Emine | 264 |
| 8 | Meryem | 232 |
| 9 | Yeter | 225 |
| 10 | Leyla | 224 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. Population and surname lists are for 2025. All provinces →
Guide
Understanding Ardahan’s close counts and shared places
Popular baby names in Ardahan include several shared positions, making the recorded counts especially useful when reading the ranking. The annual leaders and population lists add context without turning a single year’s choices into a claim about everyone in the province.
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The latest baby-name leaders
According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level figures for Ardahan, Asel led among newborn girls with 12 and Alparslan among newborn boys with 10.
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Several names share counts
TÜİK’s 2025 Ardahan list records Defne, Duru, Elisa and Ada with 6 each among girls. Metehan and Atlas each recorded 7 among boys.
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A distinct surname ranking
According to TÜİK’s 2025 Ardahan province-level figures, Yılmaz led surnames with 2,990, followed by Yıldız with 2,120 and Çelik with 1,875.
Reading equal counts without creating differences
According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level data for Ardahan, Gökçe followed Asel among newborn girls with 9, and Alya recorded 8. Further down, Öykü, Kumsal and Doğa shared a count of 5. Among boys, Mustafa, Çınar and Göktuğ also each recorded 5. Names with equal counts should remain tied when you compare them; their display order does not establish a difference in frequency. Visit Asel for its meaning, “honey, the sweet substance made by bees,” or explore the wider 2025 baby-name lists.
Following Ardahan’s annual leaders
TÜİK’s Ardahan province-level series begins in 2018 with Eylül leading among newborn girls with 18 and Aras among newborn boys with 12. The girls’ leading names later include Zeynep, Defne and Zümra before Asel leads in 2025. Among boys, Miraç and Eymen also appear as leaders, while Alparslan leads in 2022, 2024 and 2025. These snapshots show changes in first place, without establishing why they occurred. Read the statistics guide and methodology when using the sequence to compare different years.
Keeping population names separate from newborn choices
The most common names in Ardahan, Turkey, are a different question from the latest baby-name favourites. According to TÜİK’s 2025 province-level population figures, Fatma led female names with 564, followed by Zeynep with 473 and Songül with 461. Murat led male names with 545, ahead of Yusuf with 517 and Mustafa with 471. Explore Yusuf, meaning “may God add; may God increase,” or Zeynep, meaning “a fragrant flowering tree.” Neither a name’s meaning nor its frequency determines anything about an individual bearer.
Practical ways to read Ardahan’s lists
- Record shared counts together instead of assigning an extra order to tied names.
- Keep Ömer Asaf and Muhammed Ali intact as complete listed entries.
- Avoid treating absence from the displayed list as proof that a name was unused.
- Check the year and whether the figure concerns newborns, the population or surnames.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Ardahan’s official figures come from?
Source: TÜİK, the Turkish Statistical Institute, address-based population register, top-30 lists. The figures here identify Ardahan as the province and state the relevant year.
Is Metehan more frequent than Atlas in the latest boys’ list?
No. TÜİK’s 2025 Ardahan province-level figures give both names a count of 7 and a shared position.
Did the leading boys’ count change from the previous year?
Alparslan led with 10 in both TÜİK’s 2024 and 2025 Ardahan province-level baby-name figures. Equal leading counts do not describe changes elsewhere in the list.