The common name of millions has been revealed: Turkey's most popular first and last names announced

Data from the Address-Based Population Registration System has once again revealed the long-standing preferences for first and last names in Turkey. As of 2025, "Yılmaz" remains the most common surname, while "Mehmet" for men and "Fatma" for women have maintained their top positions. While the data shows that traditional names continue to be used strongly, a notable decline in the number of people bearing the names "Mehmet" and "Fatma" is also reflected in the statistics.

The most frequently used first and last names in Turkey have been determined. According to the Address-Based Population Registration System data, "Yılmaz" was recorded as the most common surname, "Mehmet" as the most common male name, and "Fatma" as the most common female name in 2025.

These names and surnames, which topped the list in 2024, remained unchanged in the 2025 data.

"YILMAZ" REMAINS THE MOST COMMON SURNAME

According to official data, the number of people bearing the surname "Yılmaz" reached 1 million 177 thousand 896 in 2025. The number of people using the surname "Kaya" was recorded as 899 thousand 722, while the number of people with the surname "Demir" was 876 thousand 934.

Other frequently used surnames in Turkey and the number of people using them are listed as follows:

"Çelik 717 thousand 655 people, Yıldız 697 thousand 80 people, Şahin 688 thousand 214 people, Yıldırım 666 thousand 723 people, Öztürk 586 thousand 831 people, Aydın 581 thousand 387 people, Özdemir 556 thousand 378 people."

The list also included Arslan, Doğan, Kılıç, Aslan, Çetin, Kara, Kurt, Koç, Polat, and Şimşek among the prominent surnames.

MEHMET TOPS THE LIST FOR MEN

The most common male name across Turkey was "Mehmet". According to the data, the number of people bearing this name was determined to be 1 million 271 thousand 896.

"Mehmet" was followed by "Mustafa" with 1 million 57 thousand 634 people and "Ahmet" with 857 thousand 105 people.

In addition, the name "Ali" was found among 736 thousand 478 people, while the names "Hüseyin" and "Hasan" were also among the most used names with 571 thousand 822 and 531 thousand 386 people, respectively.

The list also highlighted "Murat" with 527 thousand 648, "Yusuf" with 526 thousand 127, "İbrahim" with 505 thousand 52, and "İsmail" with 434 thousand 992 people.

Ömer, Ramazan, Osman, Abdullah, Fatih, Emre, Halil, Hakan, Süleyman, and Adem were also ranked among the most frequently used male names in Turkey. "Metin" placed 30th on the list.

FATMA TAKES THE TOP SPOT FOR WOMEN

Among female names, "Fatma" topped the list. It was determined that 1 million 152 thousand 158 people in Turkey bear the name "Fatma".

This name was followed by "Ayşe" with 906 thousand 873 people and "Emine" with 776 thousand 708 people.

On the other hand, the number of people using the name "Hatice" was recorded as 709 thousand 426, and the number of people using the name "Zeynep" was 707 thousand 953.

While the name "Elif" was found among 556 thousand 208 people, the names "Meryem", "Merve", "Zehra", and "Esra" were also among the widely used female names with 320 thousand 576, 293 thousand 380, 268 thousand 716, and 248 thousand 211 people, respectively.

The data also highlighted Özlem, Büşra, Yasemin, Melek, Hülya, Kübra, Sultan, Dilek, Leyla, and Rabia as other notable female names.

DECLINE IN "MEHMET" AND "FATMA" NAMES IS NOTABLE

Statistics also revealed a decline in the usage of the most common names in recent years.

In 2018, the number of people bearing the name "Mehmet" in Turkey was recorded as 1 million 361 thousand 958. This number decreased steadily over the years to 1 million 271 thousand 896 in 2025. Thus, there was a decrease of 90 thousand 62 people bearing the name "Mehmet" over the 8-year period.

A similar decline was observed in female names. The name "Fatma", which was borne by 1 million 235 thousand 828 people in 2018, fell to 1 million 152 thousand 158 as of 2025. Accordingly, the number of people bearing the name "Fatma" decreased by 83 thousand 670 during the period in question.

"YILMAZ" SURNAME CONTINUES TO INCREASE

Despite the decline in the most common first names, the increase in "Yılmaz", the most frequently used surname in Turkey, was notable.

According to the data, the "Yılmaz" surname, which was borne by 1 million 134 thousand 443 people in 2018, showed an increase over the years, rising to 1 million 177 thousand 896 in 2025. Thus, the number of people using the "Yılmaz" surname increased by 43 thousand 453 people.

News Source: 12punto