How Turkish names work: given names, unisex names and the alphabet rule

If you are choosing a name with Turkish roots, a few rules of the Turkish naming system are worth knowing. This guide summarises them from the references listed below.

Given name and surname

A Turkish full name has a given name, called ad or isim, and a surname, called soyadı or soyisim. There is one surname, written last, but there can be more than one given name. Babies usually receive one given name, often two, and only rarely more.

Many names are unisex

Most Turkish names are clearly for boys or for girls, but many are traditionally used for both. Names that are ordinary words, such as Deniz 'sea', are a well-known example. Some unisex names lean towards one gender in practice: Derya is used more often for girls and Aytaç more often for boys. On TurkicNames, gender is taken from the sources for each language, and a name recorded for both is marked Unisex. Browse unisex names.

Names are often ordinary words

Many Turkish given names are words with a plain meaning, such as deniz 'sea' or yağmur 'rain'. That makes the meaning transparent to Turkish speakers, but it also means the dictionary sense and the name can drift apart over time. Our name pages cite the word entry when the meaning comes from it.

Only Turkish letters can be registered

Turkish birth certificates may use only the letters of the Turkish alphabet. The alphabet has no Q, W or X, so a name containing those letters can be registered only in a Turkish spelling. Births are registered in Turkey's central civil registration system, MERNIS.

What this means for parents abroad

If you live outside Turkey, your local registry decides which letters are accepted. Letters such as ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş and ü may or may not be available. Check the recorded spellings on each name page before you decide.