Turkish Names
Turkish names draw on three deep wells: Arabic and Persian names that arrived with Islam and the Ottoman court, Old Turkic names from the steppe (Alparslan, Göktuğ, Kaan), and plain Turkish words — sea, rain, north wind — made fashionable by the language reforms of Atatürk’s era. That mix is why a Turkish classroom can hold a Yusuf, a Poyraz and a Deniz side by side.
This guide gives you more than 70 of the most useful Turkish names with meanings, then points you to our full lists of Turkish boy names, Turkish girl names and Turkish last names. If you’re exploring related traditions, our Arabic names and Persian names pages are good next stops.
Turkish Names: browse all lists
Popular Turkish boy names
Turkish birth-registration data (TÜİK) has been topped for years by Yusuf, with newer choices like Alparslan, Göktuğ and Poyraz climbing fast. See the full list of Turkish boy names.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Yusuf | “God will increase”; the prophet Joseph | Hebrew via Arabic |
| Mehmet | “Praised”; Turkish form of Muhammad | Arabic |
| Mustafa | “The chosen one” | Arabic |
| Ahmet | “Most praised” | Arabic |
| Ali | “Exalted, high” | Arabic |
| Emir | “Commander, prince” | Arabic |
| Ömer | “Life, long-lived” | Arabic |
| Eymen | “Blessed, fortunate” | Arabic |
| Kerem | “Generosity, nobility” | Arabic |
| Aras | The Aras River in eastern Anatolia | Turkish |
| Poyraz | The northeast wind | Greek Boreas via Turkish |
| Göktuğ | “Sky banner” (gök + tuğ, a horsetail standard) | Old Turkic |
| Alparslan | “Brave lion”; a great Seljuk sultan | Old Turkic |
| Miraç | “Ascension”; the Prophet’s night journey | Arabic |
| Kuzey | “North” | Turkish |
Popular Turkish girl names
Zeynep, Elif and Defne have dominated Turkish nurseries for two decades. Explore more Turkish girl names with meanings.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zeynep | Possibly “fragrant tree” or “father’s ornament” | Arabic (Zaynab) |
| Elif | First letter of the Arabic alphabet; “slender, upright” | Arabic |
| Defne | Laurel tree | Greek Daphne |
| Eylül | September | Turkish (from Aramaic) |
| Azra | “Virgin, pure” | Arabic |
| Nehir | River | Turkish |
| Asel | “Honey-sweet, pure” | Arabic / Turkic |
| Hiranur | “Light of Hira,” the cave of the first revelation | Arabic |
| Asya | Asia | Turkish |
| Ecrin | “Reward” (from God) | Arabic |
| Ela | Hazel (of eyes) | Turkish |
| Meryem | Mary, mother of Jesus | Aramaic via Arabic |
| Ayşe | “Alive, living” | Arabic (Aisha) |
| Fatma | Fatima, daughter of the Prophet | Arabic |
| Ada | Island | Turkish |
Turkish nature names and modern Turkish-root names
Since the language reforms of the 1930s, many parents prefer pure Turkish words over Arabic and Persian names. Most of these work for boys and girls alike.
| Name | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Deniz | Sea | Unisex |
| Derya | Ocean | Mostly girls |
| Umut | Hope | Mostly boys |
| Evren | Universe | Unisex |
| Ozan | Bard, folk poet | Boys |
| Bora | Storm | Boys |
| Toprak | Earth, soil | Boys |
| Ekin | Crop, harvest | Unisex |
| Doğa | Nature | Girls |
| Tuna | The Danube River | Unisex |
| Özgür | Free | Unisex, mostly boys |
| Yağmur | Rain | Mostly girls |
| Barış | Peace | Boys |
| Aylin | Moon halo | Girls |
| Güneş | Sun | Unisex |
Historic and Ottoman Turkish names
Sultans, princesses and imperial consorts still inspire Turkish parents — helped by hit historical TV dramas.
| Name | Meaning | Historic figure |
|---|---|---|
| Osman | Uthman, a companion of the Prophet | Osman I, founder of the Ottoman dynasty |
| Orhan | Possibly “great khan” | Orhan Gazi, second Ottoman ruler |
| Murat | “Wish, desire” | Sultan Murad IV |
| Selim | “Sound, safe” | Sultan Selim I |
| Süleyman | Solomon | Süleyman the Magnificent |
| Cem | “Ruler,” from Persian Jamshid | Prince Cem, rival of Bayezid II |
| Hürrem | “Joyful, cheerful” (Persian) | Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana) |
| Mihrimah | “Sun and moon” (Persian) | Daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent |
| Nilüfer | Water lily | Nilüfer Hatun, wife of Orhan Gazi |
| Hatice | Khadija, wife of the Prophet | Hatice Sultan, sister of Süleyman |
| Kemal | “Maturity, perfection” | Mustafa Kemal Atatürk |
Common Turkish last names
Turks only adopted surnames with the Surname Law of 1934, so most describe a quality or strength. Read the full list of Turkish last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Yılmaz | “Undaunted, never gives up” | The most common Turkish surname |
| Kaya | Rock | Short and solid |
| Demir | Iron | Symbol of strength |
| Şahin | Falcon | From Persian |
| Çelik | Steel | Very common |
| Yıldız | Star | Also a girl’s name |
| Öztürk | “Pure Turk” | Öz means “pure, true” |
| Aydın | “Enlightened, bright” | Also a first name and a city |
| Özdemir | “Pure iron” | Top-10 surname |
| Arslan | Lion | Also spelled Aslan |
| Doğan | Falcon; also “born” | Classic |
| Kılıç | Sword | Martial pride |
| Kurt | Wolf | The wolf is a Turkic national symbol |
| Polat | Steel | From Persian pulad |
| Çetin | Tough, hard | Popular in the 1930s |
How to choose a Turkish name
- Learn the special letters. Ç is “ch,” Ş is “sh,” ğ lengthens the vowel before it, and the dotless ı sounds like the “e” in “taken.” Doğa is “DOH-ah,” not “Dog-a.”
- Decide on religious or Turkish roots. Names like Mehmet or Meryem signal Islamic heritage; names like Deniz or Toprak feel secular and modern.
- Check how it travels. Ada, Deniz, Defne, Aras and Kerem are easy to spell in English; Işıl or Çağla may need explaining.
- Mind double names. Turkish parents often give two first names (Ömer Asaf, Elif Naz). The second can honor a grandparent.
- Look at meanings across cultures. Deniz sits nicely beside our names that mean ocean, and Poyraz beside names that mean wind.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular name in Turkey?
According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) birth data, Yusuf has been the top boy’s name for years and Zeynep or Elif usually lead for girls. Mehmet and Fatma remain the most common names in the overall population.
When did Turks start using last names?
Surnames became compulsory with the Surname Law of 1934. Mustafa Kemal received the surname Atatürk (“father of the Turks”) from parliament the same year.
Are Turkish names Arabic?
Many are: Mehmet, Ahmet, Zeynep and Ayşe came through Islam. But a large share are pure Turkish words (Deniz, Umut, Yağmur) or Old Turkic names (Alparslan, Kaan).
What are unisex Turkish names?
Deniz (sea), Evren (universe), Ekin (harvest), Güneş (sun), Tuna (Danube) and Özgür (free) are all used for both boys and girls.
How do Turkish names differ from Persian names?
Persian names such as Hürrem or Mihrimah entered Turkish through the Ottoman court, but modern Turkish favors native Turkic vocabulary and uses Turkish spelling (Ç, Ş, Ğ).