Turkish Names

Turkish names belong to the Turkic language family. This collection contains 298 Turkish names with their meanings, cultural backgrounds, and pronunciation guides. You'll find 139 names traditionally given to boys and 149 names for girls, reflecting naming patterns from Turkey and Central Asia. These names carry the linguistic heritage and cultural values of Turkish-speaking communities. Common themes include leader, noble, nature, showing what Turkish cultures have valued across generations.

298 total names
139 boy names
149 girl names

Atl

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Can

This name derives from the Turkish “can,” meaning “life, spirit, soul, water, juice,” from the Ottoman Turkish “jân,” meaning “soul, vital spirit, life.” In turn, it derives from the Middle Persian “gyān,” meaning “soul, being, life.” Finally, the name means “the elixir of life.”

Boy

Naz

This name derives from the Middle Armenian “naz ‎(նազ),” meaning “coy, delicate or coquettish, beautiful, beloved, charming,” which in turn derives from the Middle Iranian “nāzanin / nâz,” meaning “pleasure, delight, to take; exult, triumph.” Princess Nazli Fazl (1853–1913) was an Egyptian princess from the dynasty of Muhammad Ali of Egypt and one of the first women to revive the tradition of the literary salon in the Arab world, at her palace in Cairo from the 1880s through her death.

Girl

Alp

This name derives from the Turkish “alp”, meaning “stouthearted, brave, chivalrous, daredevil, valorous, gallant one”.

Boy

Apa

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “ata,” meaning “father, parent, old man, pater, ancestor.” Ata al-Ayyubi (1877–1951) was an Ottoman civil servant. Born to a prominent political family in Damascus, Syria, he studied public administration in Istanbul and began his professional career in the Ottoman civil service.

Boy

Ahu

This name derives from the Turkish “Ahu,” meaning “beautiful eyes, gazelle.”

Girl

Doğu

This name derives from the Turkish “doğu”, meaning “east, eastern”.

Boy

Nunu

Nuray is a feminine given name of Arabic and Turkish origin, meaning “bright moon, Radiating moon.” According to Azerbaijan Ministry of Justice in 2013, the name Nuray ranked 2th out of the top 100 names chosen by parents for their baby girls.

Girl

Ajla

Ayla is a common Turkish feminine name that means "halo of light around the moon." Since Ayla is reserved for the feminine, it is usually synonymous with "moonlight," although it could also mean "halo" in general. "Ay" means (moon) in Turkish, so that "Ayla" means the (halo around the moon)." "Ayla" also means (with the moon) as a word ("ay" plus "la" where "la" is used for "ile" which means "with" in Turkish), but in the context of given names, its meaning is halo, and can be related to names Aylin (also deriving from "ay"), Tülin, or Aylanur.

Girl

Özgü

This name derives from the Turkish given name and a surname “özgür”, meaning “free, independent, at liberty”. Özgürlük (liberty) in philosophy, involves free will as contrasted with determinism (faculty or power to do as one likes). Philosophers from earliest times have considered the question of liberty. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD) wrote of "a polity in which there is the same law for all, a polity administered with regard to equal rights and equal freedom of speech, and the idea of a kingly government which respects most of all the freedom of the governed."

Girl

Aysu

Aysu is a common feminine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "aysu" means "clear as moon and water". In turn the name is closely related to the Ottoman Turkish word “āy”, meaning “moon, month, crescent, a beautiful face”.

Girl

Özge

other, different

Girl

Apor

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “ata,” meaning “father, parent, old man, pater, ancestor.” Ata al-Ayyubi (1877–1951) was an Ottoman civil servant. Born to a prominent political family in Damascus, Syria, he studied public administration in Istanbul and began his professional career in the Ottoman civil service.

Boy

Ezgi

Ezgi is a feminine given name from the common Turkish noun “ezgi”, meaning “melody”.

Girl

Réka

This is an old Hungarian female given name from the 10th century and derives from the Turkic “Arikan”. Over time it changed into forms like Kreka or Rekam and eventually into Réka. Although it is challenging to find an affectionate form, there are some which are commonly used, such as Rékuci, Réki, and Rékus. Reka is the name of Attila’s wife, ruler of the Huns. Its Finnish cognate is Riikka. Reka is also the Slovenian word for “river.” Reka is also a Sanskrit name and a Maori name. In Maori, Reka means “sweet.”

Girl

Mine

This name derives from the Turkish “mine”, meaning “enamel”. The feast day is traditionally celebrated on February 6, and September 19.

Girl

Atle

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Atos

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “ata,” meaning “father, parent, old man, pater, ancestor.” Ata al-Ayyubi (1877–1951) was an Ottoman civil servant. Born to a prominent political family in Damascus, Syria, he studied public administration in Istanbul and began his professional career in the Ottoman civil service.

Boy

Aták

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “ata,” meaning “father, parent, old man, pater, ancestor.” Ata al-Ayyubi (1877–1951) was an Ottoman civil servant. Born to a prominent political family in Damascus, Syria, he studied public administration in Istanbul and began his professional career in the Ottoman civil service.

Boy

Oğuz

This name derives from Turkish “Oğuz,” from an Old Turkic “oguz,”‎ meaning “arrow.”

Boy

Atla

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Girl

Totu

Tuğrul is a Turkish male first name (ancient Turkish: Toġrïl). It was a raptor, described as more extensive than a Sonkur, perhaps, the crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) meant Toghrul. This bird of prey was used for hunting, probably, the name of the Magyar fable being Turul, a variant of the Turkish name for these birds of prey. The first name also appears as a surname.

Girl

Berk

This name derives from the Turkish name “Berkkan,” composed of two elements: From the Old Turkic “bérk,” from the Proto-Turkic “*berk” (strong, hard, robust, violent, heroic, firm, solid) plus “kan” (sovereign, ruler and/or blood). In turn, the name means “strong blood, the shining, the brilliant.”

Boy

Esin

inspiration

Girl

Ayça

It is a Turkish feminine given name from the Ottoman Turkish “āy,” meaning “moon, month, crescent.”

Girl

Büke

This name derives from the Old Anatolian Turkish “bey / beg”, meaning “chieftain, master, ruler”. In the feminine case is (queen / woman). This name represents the short form "Aybüke", composed of the prefix “āy” (moon, month, crescent).

Girl

Réki

It is an old Hungarian female given name from the 10th-century and derives from the Turkic “Arikan.” Over time it changed into forms like Kreka or Rekam and eventually into Réka. Although it is challenging to find an affectionate form, some are commonly used, such as Rékuci, Réki, and Rékus. Reka is the name of Attila’s wife, ruler of the Huns. Its Finnish cognate is Riikka. Reka is also the Slovenian word for “river.” Reka is also a Sanskrit name and a Maori name. In Maori, Reka means “sweet.”

Girl

Seda

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “sedâ,” meaning “voice, sound,” (Arabic: ṣadā; Persian: sadâ), meaning “echo.”

Girl

Atád

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “ata,” meaning “father, parent, old man, pater, ancestor.” Ata al-Ayyubi (1877–1951) was an Ottoman civil servant. Born to a prominent political family in Damascus, Syria, he studied public administration in Istanbul and began his professional career in the Ottoman civil service.

Boy

Etel

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Girl

Inci

This name derives from the Turkish “Inci,” which in turn derives from the Old Turkic “yençü,” meaning “pearl.”

Girl

Bike

Bike means “woman or queen” and represents also the short form of “Aybike, İsenbike, and Süyümbike”. The name is of Turkish origin and comes from the following roots: (ĀY BEY / BEG) (İSEN BEY / BEG) and (SÜYÜM BEY / BEG).

Girl

Ozan

This name derives from the Turkish word “ozan,” meaning “poet.” Occasionally, Ozan also appears as a family name.

Boy

Ebru

(NO RELIABLE INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE, WE WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE).

Girl

Ülke

This name derives from the Turkish “ülke”, meaning “country, nation”.

Girl

Atli

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Burcu

sweet smelling, Scent, Fragrance

Girl

Ceren

young gazelle

Girl

Aysun

Aysun is a common feminine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "Aysun" means "(a person) whose face is as beautiful as the moon". In turn the name is closely related to the Ottoman Turkish word “āy”, meaning “moon, month, crescent, a beautiful face”.

Girl

Aykut

It is a Turkish given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus the Old Turkic “kut” (luck, good fortune), perhaps related to Persian “khodā / khudā,” meaning “god, lord, master.” In turn, the name means “the master of the moon, the lucky moon.”

Boy

Aytek

This is a Turkish given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus the Arabic and Persian “tāj” (crown). In turn the name means “a moon-shaped crown, moon crown”.

Boy

Deniz

This name derives from the Turkish “deñiz,” meaning “sea, inflow,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Turkic “*teniŕ.” It is used for both females and males. Originally, Deniz was a masculine name.

Unisex

Cihan

world, universe

Unisex

Filiz

sprout, shoot

Girl

Evren

This name derives from the Turkish “evren,” meaning “universe, cosmos.”

Boy

Gülay

This name means “made from the rose” in Turkish. The first element derives from the Ottoman Turkish “gül,” which in turn derives from the Persian “gol” meaning “flower, rose.” Golak is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is sometimes placed within the genus Satureja.

Girl

Bende

Bende is a short form of Bendegúz and Benedek. The name is of Hungarian (Magyar), Turkish and Latin origin and comes from the following roots: (BONCUK) and (BENEDICTUS).

Boy

Zülal

This name derives from the Turkish dialect, meaning “pure sweet water”.

Girl

Fehmi

Fehmi is a Turkish and Albanian male first name of Arabic origin. The name means “related to understanding”. The female form is Fehmiye.

Boy

Aibek

It is a Turkish masculine given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus the Old Anatolian Turkish “bey / beg” (chieftain, master, ruler). In turn, the name means “a king as beautiful as the moon, a king who has a face as beautiful as the moon, king of moon.” This name also means “clever boy, very intelligent and wise boy.”

Boy

Çetin

Tough, Robust, Strong, Hard, Arduous

Boy

Buğra

(NO RELIABLE INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE, WE WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE).

Boy

Gözde

This name derives from the Turkish “göz”, which in turn derives from the Proto-Turkic “köz”, meaning “eye”. The name Gözde in turkey means favorite.

Girl

Gizem

This name derives from the Turkish “gizem,” meaning “mystery, enigma, secret, arcanum.”

Girl

Boran

This name derives from the Ancient Greek “bóra (μπόρα) Boreas (Βορέας) Borrhás (Βορρᾶς),” meaning “shower, a storm, thunderstorm.” Boreas was the Greek god of the cold north wind and the bringer of winter. His name meant “North Wind” or “Devouring One.” Zephyrus, in Latin Favonius, is the Greek god of the west wind. In Turkish “Bor” is linked to the word “grey” and another meaning “a sudden and rapid flow of the tide in certain rivers and estuaries which rolls up as a wave; an eagre” plus “ağ / ağan” means “crying, flow,” linked to the concept of the Greek “rain, shower.” The full meaning indicates a natural disaster, a god crying which moves waters and the winds. The meaning is a sum of simple concepts that describe an event inauspicious. In Crimean Tatar, among others, the word “boran” means “storm.” Furthermore, in Persian “būrah,” it means “sugar,” but also understood as sugar falling from the sky “snow or rain.”

Boy

Edsel

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Etzel

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Özcan

Özcan is a Turkish male given name, which also appears as a surname. It is composed of two elements: “öz” (original, origin, from the beginning) plus “can” (soul). In turn, the name means “original mind.”

Boy

Dilay

beautiful moon

Girl

Aylin

Aylin is a common feminine Turkish given name. "Aylin" derives from the Ottoman Turkish "āy", meaning “moon, month, crescent”. In turn the name means " moon halo, halo around the moon".

Girl

Eldar

This name is composed of two elements: from the Turkish “el” (state, country, nation) plus the Persian suffix “dar” (at, in, within, among, to) or “duvar-” (door, gate). In turn, the name means “within the nation, at the gates of the nation.”

Boy

Çağla

This name is of Turkish origin originating from the word “çağlayinbrer,” meaning “the action of that flowing water.” The name also means unripe almonds, which is a delicacy in Turkey. The male equivalent of the name is Çağlar.

Girl

Doğuş

Doğuş is a variant form of Doğan, both a masculine Turkish given name and a Turkish surname. This name derives from the Turkish “doğan”, meaning “hawk”. The second meaning of the word is "arising, born, nativity, genesis". In fact “yeni doğan” means “newborn”.

Boy

Nuray

Nuray is a feminine given name of Arabic and Turkish origin, meaning “bright moon, Radiating moon.” According to Azerbaijan Ministry of Justice in 2013, the name Nuray ranked 2th out of the top 100 names chosen by parents for their baby girls.

Girl

Simge

This name derives from Turkish “simge,” meaning “symbol (character or glyph).”

Girl

Yeşim

most beautiful

Girl

Kiraz

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “kiraz,” which in turn derives from the Ancient Greek “kerásion (κερᾰ́σῐον) kerási (κεράσι)” meaning “cherry, cherry tree.”

Girl

Altin

This name derives from the Ottoman Turkish “altın / altun,” which in turn derives from the Proto-Turkic “*altun,” meaning “gold, pure gold.”

Boy

Zalán

thrower, hitter

Boy

Yonca

Yonca is a feminine Turkish given name. In Turkish, “Yonca” means “clover.”

Girl

Barót

Gent, Bear, Weasel

Boy

Ekrem

(NO RELIABLE INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE, WE WILL UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE).

Boy

Árpád

It is a diminutive of the word Hungarian harp, which means “barley,” and the meaning can be rendered as “grain of barley” (although some sources indicate with “seed.” Árpád was a prince of the ninth century that led the Magyars in today's Hungary and is considered a Hungarian national hero.

Boy

Yeter

enough, sufficient

Girl

Kadri

This name derives from the Turkish language, meaning “worth, value.”

Boy

Aygöl

This is a Turkish given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus “gül” (rose). In turn, the name means “moonflower, the moon rose.”

Girl

Aygwl

This is a Turkish given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus “gül” (rose). In turn, the name means “moonflower, the moon rose.”

Girl

Erhan

brave ruler

Boy

Golak

This name means “made from the rose” in Turkish. The first element derives from the Ottoman Turkish “gül,” which in turn derives from the Persian “gol” meaning “flower, rose.” Golak is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is sometimes placed within the genus Satureja.

Girl

Artan

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From the Germanic (Gothic) “atta” plus the diminutive suffix “-ila,” meaning “little father.” 2) From the Turkish “atlïg,” meaning “famous” or related to the river Volga, “Itil / Atil,” meaning “big river,” probably inherited from Tatar, Atăl (Атăл). Attila, more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was the leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea.

Boy

Altan

ALTAN IS A COMMON MASCULINE TURKISH GIVEN NAME USED ALSO AS SURNAME AND A MONGOLIAN GIVEN NAME. ALTAN MEANS "GOLDEN" IN MONGOLIAN AND "RED DAWN" IN TURKIC. THE RELATED WORD "ALTIN" IS ALSO TURKISH FOR "GOLDEN" AND A COMMON TURKISH SURNAME. 1) The Altan Khans (Golden Khan) ruled north-western Mongolia from about 1609 to 1691 at the latest. 2) Altan Khan or Altan Khan of the Tümed (1507–1582), whose given name was Anda, was the ruler of the Tümed Mongols and de facto ruler of the Right Wing, or western tribes, of the Mongols. 3) Altan Telgey is a Mongol earth goddess. Her relationship to Etugen is unclear. In Mongolian, Delkhey (Delkhi) literally means earth. In modern Mongolian songs, the term Altan Delkhi is commonly mentioned.

Boy

Doğan

Doğan is both a masculine Turkish given name and a Turkish surname. This name derives from the Turkish “doğan”, meaning “hawk”. The second meaning of the word is "arising, born, nativity, genesis". In fact “yeni doğan” means “newborn”.

Boy

Elgüc

This name is of Turkish origin, composed of two elements: “el” (state, country, nation) plus “güç” (power, strength, force). In turn, the name means “power of the country.”

Boy

Hunor

The sons of Nimród were Hunor and Magor who were the fathers of the Huns and Magyars.

Boy

Aslan

This name derives from the Turkish “aslan,” which in turn derives from the Old Turkic and Proto-Turkic “arslan,” meaning “lion, the great lion.” The informal meaning is “young man, dashing young fellow, young buck, young blood.” The Old Turkic suffix “-lan” is commonly used for wild and predatory animals. Aslan is the main character of C. S. Lewis’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. He is “the great lion” of “the lion, the witch and the wardrobe,” and his role in Narnia is developed throughout the remaining books.

Boy

Engin

Engin is a Turkish female and male first name. The meaning is “wide, endless, limitless extended (referred to the importance of the open sea). Engin also is used as a family name.

Unisex

Başar

achieve, thrive

Boy

Ercan

blood of a brave man

Boy

Cansu

This name derives from the Turkish “can,” meaning “life, spirit, soul, water, juice,” from the Ottoman Turkish “jân,” meaning “soul, vital spirit, life.” In turn, it derives from the Middle Persian “gyān,” meaning “soul, being, life.” Finally, the name means “the elixir of life.”

Girl

İldar

This name is composed of two elements: from the Turkish “el” (state, country, nation) plus the Persian suffix “dar” (at, in, within, among, to) or “duvar-” (door, gate). In turn, the name means “within the nation, at the gates of the nation.”

Boy

Aybek

It is a Turkish masculine given name, composed of two elements: the Ottoman Turkish “āy” (moon, month, crescent) plus the Old Anatolian Turkish “bey / beg” (chieftain, master, ruler). In turn, the name means “a king as beautiful as the moon, a king who has a face as beautiful as the moon, king of moon.” This name also means “clever boy, very intelligent and wise boy.”

Boy

Berna

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The theories include: 1) From a Turkish word meaning “young.”

Girl

Eralp

Eralp is a name of Turkish origin derived from an unknown etymological root. Eralp is a Turkish word related to the synonym “Yiğit,” which means “valiant. This name is also used as a surname in Turkey.

Boy

Demet

This name derives from the Turkish “demet”, meaning “floral bouquet, a bunch of flowers, bundle”. The Ottoman women’s magazine Demet was founded in 1908 in Istanbul, two weeks after the Second Constitutional Era’s proclamation.

Girl

Alper

This name is of Turkish origin, composed of two elements: the “alp” (stouthearted, brave, chivalrous, daredevil, valorous, gallant one) plus “er” (soldier or male). In turn the name means “brave soldier”. Alper is used as an adjective for an ancient legendary Turkish commander; Alp Er Tunga who lived around 300 B.C.

Boy

Aydar

This name derives from the Turkish “Aye / ay” has been traced to the reconstruction of Kazakh and Russian (Tatar) “Aydar (Айдар)”, meaning “tuft on the Turkish warrior's head”.

Boy

Yiğit

This name means “brave.” Yiğit is a Turkish male first name, also found as a family name. Outside the Turkish language, area occurs sporadically on the spelling Yigit.

Boy

Rékus

It is an old Hungarian female given name from the 10th-century and derives from the Turkic “Arikan.” Over time it changed into forms like Kreka or Rekam and eventually into Réka. Although it is challenging to find an affectionate form, some are commonly used, such as Rékuci, Réki, and Rékus. Reka is the name of Attila’s wife, ruler of the Huns. Its Finnish cognate is Riikka. Reka is also the Slovenian word for “river.” Reka is also a Sanskrit name and a Maori name. In Maori, Reka means “sweet.”

Girl

Nazik

This name derives from the Middle Armenian “naz ‎(նազ),” meaning “coy, delicate or coquettish, beautiful, beloved, charming,” which in turn derives from the Middle Iranian “nāzanin / nâz,” meaning “pleasure, delight, to take; exult, triumph.” Princess Nazli Fazl (1853–1913) was an Egyptian princess from the dynasty of Muhammad Ali of Egypt and one of the first women to revive the tradition of the literary salon in the Arab world, at her palace in Cairo from the 1880s through her death.

Girl

Alpay

This name derives from the Turkish “alp”, meaning “stouthearted, brave, chivalrous, daredevil, valorous, gallant one”.

Boy

Popular Themes in Turkish Names

Related Origins

History of Turkish Names

Turkish names developed within the Turkic language family. The naming traditions from Turkey and Central Asia have evolved over centuries, shaped by migration, trade, religion, and cultural exchange. Today's Turkish names carry this history.

Turkish naming traditions reflect the values and beliefs of Turkey and Central Asia. Names served multiple purposes: identifying individuals, honoring ancestors, expressing hopes for a child's future, and marking religious or cultural affiliation. These functions shaped which names became popular and how they were used.

Today, Turkish names appear far beyond Turkey and Central Asia. Immigration, global media, and cultural exchange have made many Turkish names familiar worldwide. Parents choose these names to honor heritage, appreciate their meanings, or simply because they like how they sound. The 298 names in this collection range from ancient choices still popular today to names that have fallen out of use but retain historical interest.

Turkish Naming Traditions

Turkish names often carry meanings of strength, beauty, or virtue. Islamic influence introduced Arabic-origin names alongside Turkic ones. Modern names sometimes reflect nature imagery or abstract concepts.

These traditional patterns still matter, but modern parents also mix things up. Some combine traditional and contemporary elements, pick names from other cultures, or create unique variations of classic names.

Gender Distribution

298
Total Names
139
Boy Names (47%)
149
Girl Names (50%)

This collection breaks down to 47% masculine names (139) and 50% feminine names (149). About 3% (10) work as gender-neutral or unisex options.

How to Pronounce Turkish Names

Turkish pronunciation follows patterns that may differ from English. Here are key points for English speakers:

Turkish spelling is phonetic and consistent. The dotless "i" (i) sounds like the "u" in "run". The "c" sounds like English "j", and "c" like "ch".

When in doubt about pronunciation, listening to native speakers helps more than reading transliterations. Each name page has a pronunciation guide. If you're considering a Turkish name for your child, say it out loud and think about how others in your community will pronounce it.

Turkish Names Today

Our collection includes 298 Turkish names. While some are common choices, others are rare finds that could give a child a distinctive name with authentic cultural roots.

The collection offers balanced options for both genders, with 139 names for boys and 149 for girls.

Current naming trends show renewed interest in heritage names, with parents seeking meaningful connections to cultural roots. Some Turkish names have crossed over to mainstream use, while others remain specific to Turkish-speaking communities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Turkish Names

What are popular Turkish names for boys?

Popular Turkish names for boys include Atl, Can, Naz, Alp, Apa. Our database contains 139 Turkish names traditionally given to boys, ranging from classic choices to unique options.

What are popular Turkish names for girls?

Our collection includes 149 Turkish names for girls. Popular choices blend traditional sounds with meaningful origins. Use the feminine tab to explore options organized by popularity.

What do Turkish names typically mean?

Turkish names carry meanings from the Turkic language family. Common themes in Turkish names include leader, noble, nature, beautiful. Each name in our database includes its specific meaning and cultural context.

How do you pronounce Turkish names?

Turkish pronunciation follows specific patterns. Turkish spelling is phonetic and consistent. Each name page includes a pronunciation guide to help English speakers say the name correctly.

How many Turkish names are there?

This database contains 298 Turkish names: 139 for boys and 149 for girls. This represents documented names that have been used historically or are in current use. The actual number of Turkish names ever used is certainly higher.

Are Turkish names hard to spell?

Spelling difficulty depends on the specific name and your familiarity with Turkish phonetics. Some Turkish names have been adapted to English spelling conventions, making them straightforward. Others retain original spellings that may be unfamiliar. Consider how important easy spelling is to you when choosing a name.