Turkish Baby Name Generator

What is in the Turkish collection

Our Turkish collection holds 7,961 names with a recorded meaning: 1,806 girls' names, 4,235 boys' names and 1,909 used for both. 546 carry the Documented label, 86 Likely and 7,329 Editorial. The themes that occur most often are leadership and nobility, strength and courage and nature and seasons. By origin, the largest groups are Turkic, Arabic and Persian. 556 of the names are also documented in at least one other language, most often Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Kazakh.

Turkish spelling and script

Turkish uses a 29-letter Latin alphabet introduced in 1928, and its special letters change the name. Gülnur and Gulnur are different spellings, the dotless ı is a separate letter from i, and a capital İ keeps its dot. Cards below show the spelling recorded for Turkish, not a simplified one.

Because Turkish and Azerbaijani share many names, a name may look slightly different on the Azerbaijani generator, for example with ə in place of e. Both are recorded under their own language and neither is a mistake.

How a full Turkish name is written

Turkish has no patronymic. A full name is one or two given names followed by a surname, so the generator can add a second given name (a real Turkish name) instead of a father's name.

Turkish has no patronymic. A full name is one or two given names followed by a surname, and the law has required family surnames since 1934. The full-name option therefore adds a second given name, chosen from real Turkish names, rather than a father's name.

• First + second given name: Two given names, as is common in Turkey.

Practice varies by family, country and period.

Using the generator for Turkish names

• Use the Unisex gender chip to see names such as Deniz that are given to girls and boys alike.
• Pick a rhythm chip if you want a two-syllable name that is easy to say with a long surname.
• Turn on Show a full name to preview two given names together, then open the name page to check each meaning.

Practical tips for Turkish parents

Say the first and second given names together with your surname. Two names that end and begin with the same vowel can blur into one word in fast speech.

If the child may grow up abroad, check whether the letters ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş and ü are accepted on documents in that country. Some systems replace them, and a name such as Işık can become Isik on a passport.

Many popular-sounding Turkish names are Arabic or Persian in origin, and many others are plain Turkic words. Filter by origin if you want one or the other.

What to keep in mind about Turkish data

• Most Turkish entries are labelled Documented or Likely; the label is shown on each card so you can see how firm the meaning is.
• Gender is shown as recorded. Turkish usage is flexible, and a name labelled Girl may also be given to boys, or the reverse.

Questions and answers