Banu means “lady”. It comes from Persian. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish, Uyghur and Bashkir and also used in Azerbaijani.
- Banu is a name of Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 4 letters.
What does Banu mean?
Banıw (Баныу) is a girl's name listed on Wiktionary as a given name in Bashkir. Wiktionary traces the name to Persian بانو (‘lady’). That word means “lady”.[1,3,4]
Banu in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir
What does Banu mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Banu. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “lady” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[3]
What does Banu mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written بانۇ, Banu (ULY transliteration), بانىخان, Banixan, بانىگۈل, Banigül, بانىقىز, Baniqiz, بانۇم and Banum. Here it is glossed as “lady, sister”[4]. It is recorded as a girl's name.[4]
What does Banu mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Banu. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “lady” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.
What does Banu mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Баныу and Banıw (Wiktionary romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “lady” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[1]
Where does the name Banu come from?
Persian, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Persian بانو (‘lady’).[1]✓ Documented
Persian, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Persian.[4]✓ Documented
How do you pronounce Banu?
In IPA: [bɑˈnɯ̞w], as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name Banu?
Banu is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir. Its origin is Persian. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Banu across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | BanuLatin | Girl | same as above: “lady” | Documented[3] |
| Uyghur | بانۇArabic script بانىخانArabic script, variant BanixanLatin, variant بانىگۈلArabic script, variant BanigülLatin, variant بانىقىزArabic script, variant BaniqizLatin, variant بانۇمArabic script, variant BanumLatin, variant | Girl | “lady, sister” | Documented[4] |
| Azerbaijani | BanuLatin | Girl | same as above: “lady” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | БаныуCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “lady” | 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 Banu
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banu[3] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| بانۇ[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Banu[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| بانىخان[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Banixan[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| بانىگۈل[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Banigül[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| بانىقىز[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Baniqiz[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| بانۇم[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Banum[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| Banu | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Banu | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Баныу[1] | Bashkir | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Banıw[1] | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (Wiktionary romanization) |
Names related to Banu
Variants and linked names
- A'ishibanuGirl“lady, sister”
- BanixanGirl“lady, sister”
Sibling names for Banu
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Banu rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- TunçkayaBoy“bronze rock”same language (turkish)
- “warm; gentle; love”same language (uyghur)
- ÖztinelBoy“essence spirit land”same language (turkish)
- NedimeGirl“companion, confidante”same language (turkish)
- NuşabeUnisex“water of immortality”same language (turkish)
- ErkarslanBoy“powerful lion”same language (turkish)
- UlukutBoy“very fortunate, blessed”same language (turkish)
- EwzullaBoy“God's eternity; to implore God”same language (uyghur)
Common questions about Banu
What does the name Banu mean?
Banu means “lady”. It comes from Persian. It is documented as a girl's name in Turkish, Uyghur and Bashkir and also used in Azerbaijani.
Is Banu a girl's or a boy's name?
Banu is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Turkish: girls; Uyghur: girls; Azerbaijani: girls; Bashkir: girls.
Where does Banu come from?
Banu is of Persian origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Banu?
Banu is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Azerbaijani and Bashkir. 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 is Banu spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Banu (Latin), بانۇ (Arabic script), بانىخان (Arabic script), Banixan (Latin), بانىگۈل (Arabic script), Banigül (Latin). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Banu have?
Banu has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 4 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled only with the stored source facts; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Баныу”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 88381020. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: etymology states: From Persian female name بانو (bânu); classified as a female given name in the Bashkir section; IPA [bɑˈnɯ̞w]; listed as a female given name in the Bashkir section (+2 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “بانو”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93619848. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Persian بانو ‘lady’
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Banu”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 91376031. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a female given name in the Turkish section; listed as a female given name in the Turkish section; headword of the Turkish given-name entry is “Banu”
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: خېنىم، ھەمشىرە; listed as a Uyghur given name (feminine); origin: Persian (+10 more)
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