Names by country
Turkish names for characters
Popular Turkish first names by birth decade, common and regional surnames, pronunciation, and the naming rules writers trip over.
How Turkish names work
Surnames only became law in 1934, so most were chosen then, often plain words: Yılmaz (undaunted), Demir (iron), Yıldız (star). Two given names are common and people may go by either. In Turkish, c sounds like j, ç like ch, ş like sh, and ğ is silent.
First names by birth decade
Names drift in and out of fashion. Pick from the decade your character was born, not the year your story is set.
Born before 1950
Girls
- Fatma FAHT-mah
- Ayşe EYE-sheh
- Emine eh-mee-NEH
- Hatice hah-tee-JEH
- Zeynep zay-NEP
- Hacer hah-JER
- Şerife sheh-ree-FEH
- Zehra zeh-RAH
Boys
- Mehmet MEH-met
- Mustafa moos-tah-FAH
- Ahmet AH-met
- Ali ah-LEE
- Hüseyin HEW-say-in
- Hasan hah-SAHN
- İbrahim ee-brah-HEEM
- İsmail ees-mah-EEL
Born 1950–64
Girls
- Fatma
- Ayşe
- Emine
- Hatice
- Zeynep
- Elif eh-LEEF
- Meryem
- Şerife
Boys
- Mehmet
- Mustafa
- Ahmet
- Ali
- Hüseyin
- Hasan
- İbrahim
- İsmail
Born 1965–79
Girls
- Fatma
- Ayşe
- Emine
- Hatice
- Zeynep
- Elif
- Sevgi sev-GHEE
- Gülay gew-LYE
Boys
- Mehmet
- Mustafa
- Ahmet
- Ali
- Hüseyin
- Hasan
- Murat moo-RAHT
- İbrahim
Born 1980–94
Girls
- Fatma
- Ayşe
- Emine
- Özlem uhz-LEM
- Esra es-RAH
- Elif
- Zeynep
- Tuğba too-BAH
Boys
- Mehmet
- Mustafa
- Murat
- Emre em-REH
- Serkan ser-KAHN
- Burak boo-RAHK
- Hakan
- Ahmet
Born 1995–2009
Girls
- Zeynep
- Elif
- Merve
- Büşra bewsh-RAH
- Esra
- Kübra kewb-RAH
- İrem ee-REM
- Fatma
Boys
- Mehmet
- Mustafa
- Emre
- Burak
- Yusuf
- Furkan foor-KAHN
- Enes eh-NES
- Muhammed moo-hahm-MED
Born 2010 onward
Girls
- Zeynep
- Elif
- Defne def-NEH
- Eylül ay-LEWL
- Asel ah-SEL
- Azra az-RAH
- Ecrin ej-REEN
- Hiranur hee-rah-NOOR
Boys
- Yusuf
- Eymen ay-MEN
- Ömer Asaf UH-mer ah-SAHF
- Mustafa
- Alparslan alp-ars-LAHN
- Miraç mee-RAHCH
- Kerem keh-REM
- Muhammed
Common Turkish surnames
- Yılmaz yuhl-MAHZ
- Kaya kah-YAH
- Demir deh-MEER
- Şahin shah-HEEN
- Çelik cheh-LEEK
- Yıldız yuhl-DUHZ
- Yıldırım yuhl-duh-RUHM
- Öztürk uhz-TEWRK
- Aydın eye-DUHN
- Özdemir uhz-deh-MEER
- Arslan ars-LAHN
- Doğan doh-AHN
- Kılıç kuh-LUHCH
- Aslan ahs-LAHN
- Çetin cheh-TEEN
- Kara kah-RAH
- Koç KOHCH
- Kurt KOORT
- Özkan uhz-KAHN
- Şimşek sheem-SHEK
- Polat poh-LAHT
- Korkmaz kork-MAHZ
- Güneş gew-NESH
- Bulut boo-LOOT
Questions
What are common Turkish surnames?
Some of the most common Turkish surnames are Yılmaz, Kaya, Demir, Şahin, Çelik, Yıldız. Regional surnames differ, so check the regional lists before choosing one for a character from a particular area.
How do Turkish names work?
Surnames only became law in 1934, so most were chosen then, often plain words: Yılmaz (undaunted), Demir (iron), Yıldız (star). Two given names are common and people may go by either. In Turkish, c sounds like j, ç like ch, ş like sh, and ğ is silent.
Build a Turkish character in one tap
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