Turkish Girl Names
Turkish girl names are lyrical and full of imagery — moons, roses, rivers and rain — alongside the timeless names of women from early Islam. We’ve collected 92 Turkish girl names with meanings, from today’s chart-toppers like Zeynep and Defne to vintage flowers like Menekşe and Ottoman-era classics like Mihrimah.
Watch for the Turkish letters: ç sounds like “ch,” ş like “sh,” and the dotless ı like the “a” in “sofa.” For brothers, browse our Turkish boy names; for the bigger picture visit Turkish names, or explore related Muslim girl names and Persian names.
Most popular Turkish girl names
Zeynep and Elif have led Turkey’s newborn lists (TÜİK) for most of the past two decades, with soft, short names like Asel, Defne and Ecrin close behind.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Zeynep | Possibly “fragrant tree” or “father’s ornament”; the Prophet’s daughter Zaynab | Arabic |
| Elif | First letter of the Arabic alphabet; “slender, upright” | Arabic |
| Defne | Laurel tree | Greek Daphne |
| Eylül | September | Turkish |
| Azra | “Virgin, pure” | Arabic |
| 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 (eyes) | Turkish |
| Nehir | River | Turkish |
| Nisa | “Women”; a chapter of the Qur’an | Arabic |
| Alya | “High, exalted” | Arabic |
| Duru | Clear, pure (water) | Turkish |
| Masal | Fairy tale | Turkish |
| Ada | Island | Turkish |
Traditional Turkish girl names
These names fill the family trees of modern Turks. Many honor women of early Islam; others are Turkish words of affection.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ayşe | “Alive, living” | Aisha, wife of the Prophet |
| Fatma | Fatima | The Prophet’s daughter; long Turkey’s most common female name |
| Emine | “Trustworthy, faithful” | Amina, the Prophet’s mother |
| Hatice | Khadija | The Prophet’s first wife |
| Meryem | Mary | Mother of Jesus, honored in the Qur’an |
| Havva | Eve | The first woman |
| Hacer | Hagar | Mother of Ishmael |
| Zehra | “Radiant, shining” | Epithet of Fatima |
| Esra | “Night journey” | From the Isra, the Prophet’s journey to Jerusalem |
| Büşra | “Good news” | Popular in the 1990s |
| Kübra | “Greatest” | Popular in the 1980s–90s |
| Leyla | Night | Heroine of the love story Leyla and Mecnun |
| Melek | Angel | Timeless |
| Sevgi | Love | Pure Turkish |
| Hülya | Daydream | Hülya Koçyiğit, film star |
| Songül | “Last rose” | Traditionally for a hoped-for last daughter |
Turkish girl names meaning moon, star and light
The Turkish word ay (moon) builds dozens of lovely names. For more, see our list of names that mean moon.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aylin | Moon halo | One of the most popular modern names |
| Ayla | Moon halo, moonlight | Easy in English |
| Aysu | “Moon water,” beautiful as moonlit water | Soft and poetic |
| Aynur | Moonlight | Ay + nur (light) |
| Ayça | Little moon | Pronounced “EYE-cha” |
| Aysel | “Moon flood,” moonlight streaming | Classic |
| Tülay | Moon behind tulle | Moonlight through a veil |
| Yıldız | Star | Also a surname |
| Ülker | The Pleiades | Old Turkic star name |
| Güneş | Sun | Also used for boys |
| Işıl | Glittering, sparkling | Pronounced “Uh-shul” |
| Işık | Light | Also used for boys |
| Gökçe | Sky-like, blue | From gök, “sky” |
| Nur | Light, divine light | Arabic |
Turkish flower names for girls
Turkish gardens, especially the tulip gardens of Istanbul, shaped a whole family of names. Compare with flower names for girls in English.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gül | Rose | Used alone or in compounds like Gülsüm, Ayşegül |
| Lale | Tulip | Emblem of the Ottoman “Tulip Era” |
| Nilüfer | Water lily | Also a Bursa district |
| Yasemin | Jasmine | From Persian |
| Menekşe | Violet | Sweet and old-fashioned |
| Çiçek | Flower | Pronounced “Chee-chek” |
| Papatya | Daisy | Playful and cute |
| Nergis | Narcissus | From Persian |
| Sümbül | Hyacinth | Vintage |
| Ilgın | Tamarisk shrub | Graceful, uncommon |
| Berfin | Snowdrop | Kurdish origin, popular in eastern Turkey |
| Ayşegül | Ayşe + rose | A classic combination |
| Kiraz | Cherry | Fresh and modern |
| Çağla | Green almond | Also means “a rushing torrent” |
Turkish girl names inspired by water and seasons
Rivers, rain and spring show up in many modern Turkish names. See also names that mean water.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Derya | Ocean | Classic 1970s–80s name |
| Irmak | River | Unisex, mostly girls |
| Yağmur | Rain | Pronounced “YAH-moor” |
| Pınar | Spring, fountain | Pure Turkish |
| Damla | Drop | Short and sweet |
| Bahar | Spring (season) | From Persian |
| Cansu | “Water of life” | Can (soul) + su (water) |
| Selin | Torrent, flowing water | Hugely popular in the 1990s |
| Deniz | Sea | Unisex |
Short, modern Turkish girl names
Two-syllable names with a clear sound are the big trend. Most of them travel well outside Turkey.
| Name | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ceren | Young gazelle | Graceful |
| Naz | Coyness, charm | Often a second name (Elif Naz) |
| Nazlı | Coy, delicate | Affectionate |
| Öykü | Story | Literary |
| Nil | The Nile | One syllable |
| Ece | Queen | Old Turkic |
| Melis | Honeybee | From Greek Melissa |
| Bade | Wine | From Persian |
| Başak | Ear of wheat; Virgo | Pronounced “Bah-shak” |
| Buse | Kiss | From Persian |
| Ezgi | Melody | Pure Turkish |
| Pelin | Wormwood | Herbal, vintage-cool |
| Doğa | Nature | Pronounced “DOH-ah” |
| Ekin | Harvest | Unisex |
| İpek | Silk | Soft and elegant |
| İnci | Pearl | Pronounced “IN-jee” |
| Su | Water | The shortest Turkish name of all |
| Beren | Often glossed as “strong, clever” | Modern favorite |
Ottoman-era names for girls
Imperial women of the Ottoman court left elegant Persian-flavored names, now revived by historical TV dramas.
| Name | Meaning | Historic figure |
|---|---|---|
| Hürrem | Joyful, cheerful | Hürrem Sultan, wife of Süleyman the Magnificent |
| Mihrimah | Sun and moon | Mihrimah Sultan, Süleyman’s daughter |
| Gülbahar | Spring rose | Mother of Sultan Bayezid II |
| Handan | Smiling, cheerful | Handan Sultan, mother of Ahmed I |
| Sultan | Sovereign | Used as a given name for women |
How to choose a Turkish girl name
- Try the “ay” family. Aylin, Ayla, Aysu and Ayça all build on ay (moon) and give sisters a lovely shared thread.
- Use a second name for flair. Turkish parents often pair a classic with a soft modern name: Elif Naz, Zeynep Ela, Ayşe Duru.
- Check pronunciation abroad. Ada, Ela, Defne and Ayla are easy in English; Işıl, Çağla and Yağmur may be mispronounced.
- Think about the meaning’s imagery. A flower name like Lale ties to Istanbul’s tulip history; a water name like Nehir suggests calm and flow. Explore names that mean flower for more.
- Match the surname. Short names balance long surnames such as Karadeniz or Özdemir; see Turkish last names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular girl name in Turkey?
Zeynep has been the number-one newborn girl’s name in Turkey for most years since the 2000s, with Elif, Defne, Asel and Eylül also near the top. Fatma is the most common female name in the population overall.
What does Aylin mean?
Aylin means “moon halo” — the ring of light around the moon. It is built on the Turkish word ay (moon).
What is a unique Turkish girl name?
Ülker (the Pleiades), Ilgın (tamarisk), Papatya (daisy), Tülay (moonlight through tulle) and Masal (fairy tale) are all lovely and less common.
Are Turkish girl names Arabic?
Some are, such as Zeynep, Ayşe and Meryem, but many of the most loved are pure Turkish words like Nehir (river), Duru (clear) and Yağmur (rain), or Persian names like Yasemin and Gülbahar.
What Turkish names mean moon?
Ay, Aylin, Ayla, Aynur, Aysu, Ayça, Aysel and Tülay all relate to the moon in Turkish.