No matter how surprising it may sound, but until the 20th century, the inhabitants of Turkey did not have surnames. Until 1934, the country used the Arabic name system, which is very difficult to understand, especially for foreigners. This system is represented by a long chain of several names.
But on June 21, 1934, the "Law on Surnames" was approved in the Turkish state, after which each resident was called by his own name and surname. Another innovation was adopted on November 26 of the same year: the law "On the abolition of prefixes to names in the form of nicknames and titles" was established. Since that time, there have been no changes regarding Turkish names and surnames.
So what are they like in Turkey today? What do Turkish surnames mean?
How often are boys called?
Male Turkish names have a beautiful sound and a noble designation. Previously, they were long, long and difficult to pronounce. But after the reform, they acquired a new sound. Now the following names are popular in modern Turkey:
- Ahmet - worthy of praise;
- Arslan - lion;
- Aychoban - the shepherd of the month (celestial body);
- Aykut - sacred month;
- Barish - peace-loving;
- Batur is a true warrior;
- Burke - strong, persistent;
- Burkhan - the lord of hurricanes;
- Volkan - volcano;
- Gohan - the ruler of heaven;
- Gurkhan - powerful Khan;
- Joshkun - joyful, emotional, unstoppable;
- Dogan - falcon;
- Dogukan - the ruler of the countries of the East;
- Dokuzhtug - nine horse tails;
- Engi - victory;
- Zeki - smart, reasonable;
- Ibrahim is a father of many children;
- Iskander - defender of the people;
- Yygyt is a brave horseman, a strong young hero;
- Yildirim - lightning;
- Kaplan - tiger;
- Karaduman - black smoke;
- Kartal - an eagle;
- Kyrgyz - 40 tribes;
- Mehmed / Mehmet - the most worthy of praise;
- Murat - desire;
- Ozan - songwriter;
- Ozdemir - metal;
- Osman is a chick;
- Savas - war;
- Serhat - bordering;
- Suleiman - peaceful;
- Tanryover - praising God;
- Tarkan - feudal lord, owner;
- Turgay - early lark;
- Tunch - bronze;
- Umut - inspiring hope;
- Khakan - ruler, Emperor;
- Yshik - light;
- Ediz - high;
- Emin - honest, fair;
- Emre - bard-songwriter;
- Engin - huge;
- Yaman - unbridled, courageous, fearless.
Popular names for girls
Women's Turkish names are also given special attention. Many of them are of Arabic, Pakistani origin. But they took root in Turkey so firmly that they began to be actively used.
Girls are most often called by the following names:
- Aigul - Moon;
- Eileen - the light of the moon surrounding the luminary (halo);
- Akgül- White Rose;
- Bingyul- a thousand roses;
- Gelistan- a garden in which only roses grow;
- Gulgun- pink light;
- Dolunay- full moon (full moon);
- Yons- clover;
- Yildiz - the stars of the night sky;
- Lale- tulip;
- Leila- dark night;
- Nergis- narcissus flower;
- Nulefer- water lily;
- Ozai- unusual moon;
- Ela- hazel.
As you can see, the Turks like to call their daughters the names of flowers, as well as "moon" names that emphasize the femininity, sophistication and fragility of the girl.
The most common Turkish surnames
Surnames in the country appeared not so long ago, so most of them are the same names, for example, Kaplan- tiger.
Turkish surnames are written in one word. They are transmitted exclusively through the paternal line, from father to children. But if the children are born out of official marriage, then they are awarded the maternal surname.
When a woman marries, she must take her husband's surname. But she also has the right to leave her maiden. At the same time, in the documents, she must write her maiden name in front of her husband's surname. In the event of a divorce, a woman can keep her husband's surname.
- Yilmaz. Translated into Russian, it means "unstoppable". This surname comes from a given name. It is the most widespread in the country. It's like Ivanov in Russia.
- Kılıç- saber.
- Kuchuk- small.
- Tatlybal- sweet Honey. This is one of the few beautiful Turkish surnames that are ideal for girls.
There are a few more common surnames in Turkey: Kaya, Demir, Shahin and Celik, Yildiz, Yildirim, Ozturk, Aydin, Ozdemir, Arslan, Dogan, Aslan, Chetin, Kara, Koch, Kurt, Ozkan, Shimshek.
rare names
In Turkey, there are also names that you almost never see in everyday life. Their rarity lies in the fact that they cannot be called newborns. And in most cases the prohibition is imposed by religion.
These names include:
- Haffav;
- Dasim;
- Aguar;
- Walkha.
What is the reason for the ban on names? The thing is that in Turkish mythology they were called evil spirits and demons. But no matter how strange it may sound, the Turks do not name their children the names of angels and saints. But here the prohibition acts as a respect for the "heavenly inhabitants." In addition, words related to the description of Allah are excluded as names.
There is another prohibition. Residents of Turkey are not entitled to give their children Western and It is believed that a true Muslim must have a name that is permitted by their culture and religion. And if it is still noted in the Koran, then it is considered sacred and revered.
Origin of names and surnames
Most Turkish surnames are derived from first names. And the names, as can be judged from those listed earlier, are the names of plants, animals, heavenly bodies, varieties of character, etc. In addition, in Turkey it is customary to name newborns in honor of departed ancestors or famous people of the country.
Another name, and later the surname, was given based on what time of day, day of the week the child was born. The name could be a natural phenomenon or element that raged at the time of birth.
Often wear surnames that symbolize good luck, hope, joy, health or wealth. It is not uncommon to meet a person with a double surname, inherited from both his mother and father. Sometimes a combination of such surnames form a successful, beautiful tandem.
Conclusion
The name is the "satellite" of a person from birth. It remains even after his death. This is something that reflects the character and abilities of a person. Therefore, all parents are especially reverent in choosing a name.
It can glorify, or it can defame. In any case, the name plays an important role in human destiny. This is also important in the Muslim faith, so newborns are called names with "positive energy" and completely exclude, even prohibit, the use of negative, with a negative translation.
Russia is characterized by the spread of national cultures of other peoples. This left its mark on the etymology. As a rule, naming newborns with names unusual for Russian expanses more often leans towards Western Europe than towards Eastern traditions.
Female names from the Turkish coast in Russia
However, the wide spread of Islam in recent times marked the beginning of the popularity of oriental and Muslim names. Turkish female names are still rare for our country. Numerous films of Turkish origin won back a certain springboard for their popularization. A great contribution to the growth of popularity was made by the television series The Magnificent Age. Already on the streets you can meet Roksolana and Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, Fatmagül and Feride. And Russian women enthusiastically watch the new Turkish series The Story of a Girl named Yaz. At all times, the female names of the Turkish state were distinguished by beauty and a separate explanation, so their wide popularity in the modern world is easily explained.
The influence of adjacent cultures on the formation of Turkish female names
The proximity of three cultures that have the same religion: Arabic, Persian and Turkic influenced the origin of female names. Muslim nicknames contributed to the interpretation of the female Turkish name. Most beautiful female Turkish nicknames have analogues in Arabic and Persian.
At the birth of a child in families, there are whole discussions, and sometimes disputes during his naming. But not in Turkey. Here the name of the daughter is given by the father. Only the head of the family makes the final decision. Looking into the centuries-old history, it should be noted that the appearance of a daughter in the family of a Turk was an undesirable event. Frustrated by the birth of an heiress, the fathers called them ugly and complicated nicknames. They were the personification of the negative qualities of the appearance and character of a person. But a few centuries ago, the appearance of a daughter became as long-awaited an event as the birth of a boy. The girls' names have changed. They acquired harmony and beauty.
The popularity and meaning of female Turkish names
What does a Turkish female name mean? Leadership among them is occupied by the names borrowed from the Koran, the legendary representatives of the beautiful half of humanity of bygone days, the heroines of history.
Prominent examples are:
Hatice. It personifies the guardian of the soul of a person, who throughout his life path protects him from evil eyes.
Aisha. So, they called the wife of the prophet Muhammad.
Fatma. This is the fourth daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
Even in Turkey, girls are traditionally called by the day, month or date of birth. For example, Juma is Friday.
A large list of Turkish names owes its roots to astronomy and natural phenomena. These are wonderful female nicknames that are recognized by Eastern men.
Aigul is translated into Russian as "moon".
Eileen is interpreted as "moonlight".
Aisu means "moon water".
Akyyldyz in translation sounds like a "white star".
Gulenai is interpreted as "laughing moon".
Gulgun is interpreted as "pink day".
Dolunay means "full moon".
Yildiz Russian meaning "star".
Ebru means "cloud" in Russian.
Esen is interpreted as "wind".
Yagmur is interpreted as "rain".
A whole list of magnificent names for Turkish women is given by flora and fauna:
Akgül is Russian for "white rose".
Altinadzhak meaning of the name "golden wheat".
Ares interpretation of the meaning of "bee".
Agena is interpreted as "the she-wolf-mother of the Turks."
Race means "flower bud".
Yonsa translates to "clover".
Kelbek in translation sounds like "butterfly".
March is the Russian meaning of "seagull".
Mege is interpreted as "lily".
Nergis means "narcissus".
Selvi in Russian sounds like "cypress".
Fidan is interpreted as a "tree".
Chigdem in Russian is “flower-saffron”.
Chilek is interpreted as "strawberry".
Ela in Russian "hazel".
In Turkey, it is customary to name girls as a body of water or a season:
Deniz is translated into Russian as "sea".
Derya is interpreted as "ocean".
Damla is interpreted as a "drop".
Pinar means "spring".
Khazan is interpreted as "autumn".
Fathers love Turkish girls in such a way as to arouse admiration and interest among others:
Asli is interpreted as "genuine".
Adak is translated as "oath".
Altynna, in Russian "golden".
Duygu - meaning "feeling".
Yozgur is interpreted as "free".
Kanan is translated into Russian as "beloved".
Simge means "symbol".
Sevzhi in Russian sounds like "love".
Eke is Russian for "queen".
In modern conditions of coexistence of many different ethno-national cultures and their mutual penetration, more and more often young parents give their children names that are uncharacteristic for their regions. Russia in this respect can serve as a vivid illustration of this process. It is characteristic, however, that the eyes of parents are turned to the West, to traditional European culture. On the other hand, with the spread of Islam, newborns are increasingly being called oriental, Muslim names. In this article, we will briefly touch on such a topic as female Turkish names, which are still relatively rare for Russia as a whole.
History
There are a lot of Turkish names. This situation is caused by the fact that the whole mass of Arabic names, as well as many Persian and others common among Muslim peoples, are added to the original Turkish common nouns. Moreover, many of them are combined in various ways, forming countless variants of complex, consisting of several roots, names.
Naming traditions in Turkey
Often, when choosing a name for a newborn girl, special environmental conditions or seasons are the decisive factor. For example, if a child was born on some significant religious holiday, he can be named after this holiday. It often happens that names are given by day of the week, month, season, time of day, or weather conditions. Extremely popular are names rooted in the Qur'an and belonging to various prominent women who played a role in the history of the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
List of Turkish names
Here are the most revered female Turkish names (though both of them are of Arabic origin):
- Aisha. For every Muslim, this name is of great importance, because that was the name of the wife of the founder of this religion, the Prophet Muhammad. It means "life".
- Fatima. And this name belonged to the daughter of the prophet. Translated into Russian, it means "weaned."
Turkish female names associated with celestial bodies, sky and weather conditions
- Aigul. Literally means "moon".
- Eileen. Similar in semantics to the previous one, but more specific. Can be translated as "moonlight".
- Ayda. A peculiar name in translation into Russian, because its literal meaning is "on the moon."
- Aytach. The meaning of this common noun fits well into the phrase "lunar diadem".
- gyokje. The semantics of this variant is associated with the firmament. The closest direct meaning is "heavenly".
- Gulgun. Name translated as "pink day".
- Dolunay. This word refers to the full moon.
- Yildiz. And so they call night stars in Turkey.
- Ozai. By its meaning, this name can mean a special, unusual moon.
- Tan. Sunset is the literal translation of this word.
- Shafak. This word in Turkey I call the evening twilight time. Accordingly, when a child is born during this period, it is used as a common noun.
- ebru. It means cloud.
- Yaghmur. It translates as "rain".
Names associated with plants
- Akgül. This is a white rose.
- Altinadzhak. Literally can be translated as "golden wheat".
- Bingyul. The basis of this name is the word "rose" and the numeral, in this case - a thousand. Turks like to give such names.
- Gelistan. And this is not even a thousand, this is a whole rose garden.
- Yons. A name that also refers to clover.
- Lale. Can be translated as "tulip". Sometimes it is also interpreted as "lily".
- Nergis. This word in Turkey is called a flower, known in Russia as a narcissus.
- Nulefer. It translates as "lily growing in water."
- Selvi. Like many other female Turkish names, this name comes from the name of a tree. In this case, cypress.
- Fidan. Means "small tree".
- Ela. This name can be translated into Russian with the word "hazel".
