Meaning of the Name İlkay

İlkay means “first + moon”. It comes from Turkic elements. It is documented as a name for girls and boys in Turkish.

İlkay is a name of Turkic origin.
It is recorded for Turkish.
2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 5 letters.

What does İlkay mean?

“first + moon”^[1,2,3]✓ Documented

Literally: ilk 'first' + ay 'moon'

Literal meaning

Building blocks

İlkay

İlkay is a Turkish unisex name joining ilk 'first' and ay 'moon', so that it can be read as 'first moon'. Both parts are inherited Turkic words with their own Wiktionary entries.^[1]

Meaning themes: Moon

İlkay in Turkish

What does İlkay mean in Turkish?

In Turkish the name is written İlkay. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “first + moon” applies. It is recorded as a name for girls and boys.^[1,4]

Where does the name İlkay come from?

Turkic, compound. A native Turkic compound.^[2]✓ Documented

ay “moon; month”, from Proto-Turkic (Turkish ay, Kazakh / Kyrgyz ай, Uzbek oy, Uyghur ئاي)
ilk “first”, from Proto-Turkic (Turkish ilk)
ay “moon; month”, from Proto-Turkic (Turkish ay, Kazakh / Kyrgyz ай, Uzbek oy, Uyghur ئاي)

Is İlkay a Turkish name?

Yes. İlkay is documented as a given name in Turkish. It is built from Turkic words.

İlkay across Turkic languages

İlkay by language: spelling, gender, meaning and evidence label
Language	Spelling	Gender	Meaning in this language	Label
Turkish	İlkayLatin	Unisex	same as above: “first + moon”	Documented^[1,4]

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 İlkay

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.

Recorded spellings of İlkay
Form	Language	Script	Type
İlkay^[1]	Turkish	Latin	Native spelling

Variants and linked names

İlknurGirl“first + light”

Other names with ay

AiadilBoy“just as the moon”
AiassemGirl“graceful as the moon”
AibaderGirl“moon, full moon”
AibalaUnisex“moon child”
AibanuGirl“moon lady”
AibarBoy“moon + there is / there are, there exist”
AibekBoy“moon lord”
AiberdiBoy“given by the moon”

All names with ay →

Names with a similar meaning

AbduqemerBoy“a moon-like person”
AbdusemerBoy“a moon-like person”
AçılayGirl“bloom like the moon”
AibergenBoy“given by the moon”
AibibiGirl“moon lady”
AibikaGirl“moon lady”
AibolBoy“be like the moon”
AibubuGirl“moon lady”

All moon names →

Sibling names for İlkay

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 İlkay rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.

BerkayBoy
“strong moon”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
MutluayUnisex
“happy moon”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
KorayBoy
“ember + moon”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
AyferGirl
“moon radiance”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
AybalaGirl
“moon child”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
AytenGirl
“moon-skinned”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
AyselGirl
“flood of moonlight”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay
AyşenGirl
“cheerful moon”
same language (turkish) · also shares the theme moon · also shares the element ay

Open the sibling name finder →

Common questions about İlkay

What does the name İlkay mean?

İlkay means “first + moon”. It comes from Turkic elements. It is documented as a name for girls and boys in Turkish.

Is İlkay a girl's or a boy's name?

İlkay is recorded for both girls and boys.

Where does İlkay come from?

İlkay is of Turkic origin according to our origin records, and it is built from ay + ilk + ay. Read the origin section above for the sources.

Which languages use İlkay?

İlkay 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 İlkay have?

İlkay has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 5 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 “İlkay”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92978833. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish: ilk 'first' + ay 'moon'; classified as a unisex given name in the Turkish section; listed as a unisex given name in the Turkish section; headword of the Turkish given-name entry is “İlkay”
Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ilk”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93700943. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish adjective first; from Proto-Turkic *ilk 'first'
Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “ay”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93678651. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Turkish noun moon
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q343757 (İlkay, unisex given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2181506743. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata given-name item lists Turkish under P407

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