Provinces
Most popular names in Samsun
The names given most often to babies born in Samsun, and the most common names in the province. Source: TÜİK, ADNKS.
Samsun at a glance
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 girl name was Alya (151 babies). Nationally it ranked #1.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 41 girl names (with ties); 28 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The girl name that climbed most since 2018 is Gökçe, from #30 to #2. 21 names in today’s top 30 were not in the 2018 list.
- In 2025 the province’s No. 1 boy name was Alparslan (210 babies), first for 6 years running. Nationally it ranked #1.
- The province’s top 30 ranks hold 57 boy names (with ties); 28 of them are also in the national top 30.
- The boy name that climbed most since 2018 is Kuzey, from #30 to #4. 29 names in today’s top 30 were not in the 2018 list.
- The most common names in the province’s population are Fatma (22,368 people) and Mustafa (18,703 people); the most common surname is Yılmaz.
Top girl names in Samsun, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alya | 151 | ▲ 14 |
| 2 | Gökçe | 133 | ▲ 4 |
| 3 | Defne | 127 | ▼ 2 |
| 4 | Umay | 99 | ▲ 6 |
| 5 | Asya | 83 | ▲ 2 |
| 6 | Duru | 72 | ▲ 10 |
| 7 | Zeynep | 71 | ▼ 3 |
| 8 | Asel | 68 | ▼ 6 |
| 9 | İpek | 65 | – |
| 10 | Elisa | 61 | ▼ 5 |
| 11 | İnci | 59 | ▲ 6 |
| 12 | Mihra | 58 | ▼ 4 |
| 13 | Zümra | 54 | ▼ 10 |
| 14 | Sare | 48 | ▲ 6 |
| 15 | Doğa | 43 | ▼ 3 |
| 16 | Eylül | 42 | ▲ 2 |
| 17 | Mira | 41 | ▲ 12 |
| 17 | Miray | 41 | ▼ 5 |
| 18 | Aybüke | 40 | ▲ 5 |
| 18 | Efnan | 40 | ▼ 7 |
| 19 | Kumsal | 39 | ▲ 3 |
| 20 | Güneş | 37 | ▼ 7 |
| 21 | Ceylin | 36 | ▲ 8 |
| 22 | Eflin | 33 | new |
| 23 | Masal | 31 | ▲ 1 |
| 24 | Parla | 30 | new |
| 25 | Ada | 29 | new |
| 25 | Beren | 29 | ▼ 7 |
| 26 | Aden | 28 | ▼ 3 |
| 26 | Arya | 28 | new |
Top boy names in Samsun, 2025
| # | Name | Count | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alparslan | 210 | – |
| 2 | Göktuğ | 133 | – |
| 3 | Metehan | 113 | – |
| 4 | Kuzey | 65 | – |
| 5 | Aybars | 56 | ▲ 7 |
| 6 | Kerem | 54 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Yaman | 54 | – |
| 7 | Alperen | 49 | ▼ 2 |
| 8 | Ömer Asaf | 48 | – |
| 9 | Aras | 46 | ▲ 3 |
| 10 | Aslan | 45 | ▲ 5 |
| 11 | Çınar | 44 | ▼ 4 |
| 12 | Karan | 42 | ▼ 6 |
| 13 | Poyraz | 41 | ▼ 5 |
| 13 | Yiğit | 41 | ▲ 1 |
| 14 | Barlas | 38 | ▼ 1 |
| 15 | Uras | 37 | – |
| 16 | Yağız | 35 | ▲ 6 |
| 17 | Yusuf | 33 | ▲ 1 |
| 18 | Miraç | 32 | ▼ 8 |
| 19 | Atlas | 31 | ▼ 10 |
| 19 | Kayra | 31 | ▲ 8 |
| 19 | Miran | 31 | ▼ 1 |
| 20 | Altay | 27 | new |
| 20 | Asil | 27 | new |
| 20 | Ayaz | 27 | ▼ 9 |
| 20 | Hamza | 27 | ▲ 7 |
| 21 | Kıvanç | 26 | ▼ 5 |
| 21 | Mert | 26 | ▲ 3 |
| 22 | Egemen | 24 | ▲ 1 |
Names that stand out in Samsun
In Samsun’s 2025 top 30 but not in the national top 30.
The No. 1 names, year by year
| Year | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alya | Alparslan |
| 2024 | Defne | Alparslan |
| 2023 | Asel | Alparslan |
| 2022 | Zümra | Alparslan |
| 2021 | Zeynep | Alparslan |
| 2020 | Zeynep | Alparslan |
| 2019 | Zeynep | Ömer Asaf |
| 2018 | Zeynep | Ömer Asaf |
Most common female names in Samsun
| # | Name | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fatma | 22,368 |
| 2 | Emine | 18,479 |
| 3 | Ayşe | 17,550 |
| 4 | Hatice | 11,162 |
| 5 | Zeynep | 9,513 |
| 6 | Elif | 8,394 |
| 7 | Hanife | 6,381 |
| 8 | Merve | 5,271 |
| 9 | Meryem | 4,900 |
| 10 | Hava | 4,691 |
Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. Population and surname lists are for 2025. All provinces →
Guide
Exploring Samsun’s annual favourites and established names
Popular baby names in Samsun offer a picture of recent naming choices, with Alya and Alparslan leading the latest tables. The population lists add another perspective by showing which given names are most common across registered residents.
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Latest annual favourites
According to TÜİK’s 2025 figures for Samsun province, Alya led the girls’ baby-name list with 151, and Alparslan led the boys’ list with 210.
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A shared rank among boys
Kerem and Yaman each recorded 54 in TÜİK’s 2025 Samsun baby-name figures. Their equal counts give them a shared rank.
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Population-wide leaders
TÜİK’s 2025 Samsun population lists were led by Fatma among female names, with 22,368, and Mustafa among male names, with 18,703.
Looking beyond the leading entry
According to TÜİK’s 2025 figures for Samsun province, Gökçe followed Alya among girls with 133, followed by Defne with 127 and Umay with 99. Among boys, Göktuğ followed Alparslan with 133, then Metehan with 113. The matching counts for Gökçe and Göktuğ occur in separate girls’ and boys’ tables, so they do not establish a shared rank. Read Gökçe and Göktuğ for their meanings, or browse the 2025 baby-name overview to continue your comparison.
Following the annual sequence
TÜİK’s Samsun province series shows Zeynep leading the girls’ list from 2018 through 2021, followed by Zümra in 2022, Asel in 2023, Defne in 2024 and Alya in 2025. Alparslan led the boys’ list from 2020 through 2025, after Ömer Asaf led in 2018 and 2019. This sequence records which name came first each year; it does not supply a full history for every entry. Explore Zeynep and Alparslan, with further statistical context in the methodology.
Where overall frequency and meaning meet
For the most common names in Samsun, Turkey, consult the population-wide list. According to TÜİK’s 2025 Samsun province figures, Emine and Ayşe followed Fatma among female names, while Mehmet and Ahmet followed Mustafa among male names. The separate surname table was led by Yılmaz with 25,396, followed by Şahin and Kaya. Frequency and meaning answer different questions: Mehmet means “much praised; worthy of praise,” regardless of its ranking. Use the name statistics pages to keep the different comparisons in context.
Useful checks for the Samsun lists
- Compare counts within the same girls’ or boys’ table before interpreting a rank.
- Keep Ömer Asaf together as the complete entry shown in the data.
- Retain the Turkish spelling of names such as İpek and Göktuğ in your notes.
- Record Samsun province and the year alongside any statistic you share.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of Samsun’s figures?
Source: TÜİK, the Turkish Statistical Institute, address-based population register, top-30 lists. The latest figures cited here cover Samsun province in 2025.
Were Gökçe and Göktuğ equally ranked?
No shared rank follows from their matching counts. In TÜİK’s 2025 Samsun figures, each recorded 133, but they appear in separate girls’ and boys’ rankings.
Did Alparslan’s count stay the same while it led?
No. TÜİK’s Samsun province figures show 233 in 2023, 219 in 2024 and 210 in 2025, while Alparslan remained the annual boys’ leader.
What does Umay mean?
Umay refers to a protective female figure in ancient Turkic belief. This is a cultural association of the name and says nothing about its bearer’s beliefs.