Atilla means “little father”. It probably comes from Gothic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish.
- Atilla is a name of Gothic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish.
- 3 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 6 letters.
What does Atilla mean?
Literal meaning
Atilla is recorded on Wiktionary as a Turkish male given name. Its meaning and origin have not yet been checked against the sources for this site, so no meaning is given here until that research is done.[1]
meaning traditionally given; origin debated; often read as Gothic atta 'father' + diminutive, a link to Itil, the old Turkic name of the Volga, is also proposed; name of the 5th-century Hun ruler Attila
Atilla in Turkish
What does Atilla mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Atilla. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “little father” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
Where does the name Atilla come from?
Gothic, borrowing. From Gothic.Editorial · likely (Meaning from TurkicNames' editorial research; not yet linked to a cited source.)
How do you pronounce Atilla?
In IPA: /a.til.la/, as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Is Atilla a Turkish name?
Yes. Atilla is documented as a given name in Turkish. Etymologically it is not a native Turkic word: it comes from Gothic.
Atilla across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | AtillaLatin | Boy | same as above: “little father” | Documented[1] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Atilla
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atilla[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
Sibling names for Atilla
Names recorded for the same language (Turkish) that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Atilla rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- GünerimUnisex“I reach the sun”same language (turkish)
- FahrettinBoy“glory of the religion”same language (turkish)
- İkraGirl“read, recite”same language (turkish)
- MisalGirl“example; likeness”same language (turkish)
- “modest, humble, gentle”same language (turkish)
- TünakBoy“bright, moonlit night”same language (turkish)
- SalihaGirl“righteous, virtuous”same language (turkish)
- NafizBoy“effective, influential”same language (turkish)
Common questions about Atilla
What does the name Atilla mean?
Atilla means “little father”. It probably comes from Gothic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish.
Is Atilla a girl's or a boy's name?
Atilla is recorded as a boy's name.
Where does Atilla come from?
Atilla is of Gothic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Atilla?
Atilla is recorded for Turkish. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How many syllables does Atilla have?
Atilla has 3 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 6 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Atilla”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 90929269. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; IPA /a.til.la/ (Turkish Pronunciation section); listed as a male given name in the Turkish section; headword of the Turkish given-name entry is “Atilla”
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