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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Thoughts on the following Turkish names:

105 replies

user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 10:11

Hi there

Hoping for some thoughts on the following boy and girl names (mainly how you think they are pronounced upon reading them and how they sound to a non-turkish ear)?

We have lived in UK our entire lives and are from a Turkish background and have a son with a Turkish name. Would greatly appreciate any feedback! I like names with e’s and r’s as you can probably tell :-)

Boy names:

Reyan / Reyyan
Evren
Kerem
Reis

Girl names:

Meryem
Serenay
Esra
Serin
Dilara

Thank you! 🙏🏻

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SqueakyDinosaur · 07/05/2025 19:49

I used to teach in Turkey, and some Turkish names are lovely. Some are... not.

I love Elif as a girl's name, because all the Elifs I ever taught were delightful (children and adults).

Conversely, every single Barış I ever encountered was genuinely appalling.

And as for Ufuk and Fatih.... just don't go there.

XploringEurope · 07/05/2025 19:46

Boy names all seem easy to pronounce, except Reis I paused and decided “Reese”. For that reason I prefer the other boy names.

Girl names the only 2 I liked less are Serenay and Esra. Serenay because it somehow seems more unusual, Esra because I associate it as a boy’s name (e.g. Ezra Klein).

Great names though!

Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 19:40

Schoolstressed · 07/05/2025 19:31

I think Serin is a beautiful name. Reyan for a boy.

Serin means breeze in Turkish.

OP posts:
MrsKateColumbo · 07/05/2025 19:38

REYAN and Dilara from your list

I would also consider Elif

Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 19:37

Mizztikle · 07/05/2025 14:56

I like Dilara and Serenay, very unusual and pretty I've never heard them before.

They are quite melodic I think and yes, they do roll off the tounge.

Serenay is pronounced Seh-ren-eye in Turkish though I like all the alternative ways of it’s pronunciation too - as someone with a Turkish name myself, you get used to alternative pronunciations as long as they don’t sound too bad :-)

OP posts:
Portakalkedi · 07/05/2025 19:33

what about Deniz?

Schoolstressed · 07/05/2025 19:31

I think Serin is a beautiful name. Reyan for a boy.

Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 19:31

murasaki · 07/05/2025 15:37

Leyla could be a girl possibility.

Yes Leyla is very pretty but super common in UK for Turkish girls my age so it doesn’t work for me as I know too many Leyla’s :-)

OP posts:
Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 19:28

Lovethesparklylights · 07/05/2025 14:42

Boy names:
Reyan / Reyyan - not a fan of Ray names
Evren - like
Kerem - /ok
Reis - assume pronounced like Rhys. Like

Girl names:
Meryem - not a fan, assume it is the same as Miriam
Serenay - cute
Esra - like
Serin - sounds like a poison gas
Dilara - like, similar to delilah

What about Tarik for a boy.

I do like Tarik but it would sound to harsh with the surname which has 2 k’s in it already :-)

Eeeshk, which poison gas sounds like Serin?

OP posts:
Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 19:26

Moreteaandchocolate · 07/05/2025 13:58

Reyan / Reyyan - Ray-an - not keen on Ray for short (names tend to get shortened in secondary if not before)
Evren - love this
Kerem - sounds a bit feminine / similar to Karen
Reis - Rays - I quite like it - could get confused with Rhys

Girl names:
Meryem - Merry-em - nice but could get confused with Maryam
Serenay - sounds like serenade
Esra - too much like the boys name Ezra so sounds masculine
Serin - love love this!
Dilara - not keen on the Dil part - maybe because Dil- words are often negative (Dilapidated, delirious etc)

I would pick Evren and Serin - love both!

Reis is pronounced like Rhys / Reece. So I guess it’s just the equivalent of them :-)

Thanks all for the feedback, it looks like Serin and Serenay are quite popular, could I perhaps get away with Serenay and nickname Serin or would that be pushing it? Haha

OP posts:
SilverButton · 07/05/2025 15:41

My favourites are Kerem and Serin.

murasaki · 07/05/2025 15:37

Leyla could be a girl possibility.

Yerto · 07/05/2025 15:34

I like all your boys names. Reis or Reyan would probably be my favourites.

Girls I like Serenay/Serin. Not sure about Esra as I think of Ezra which is typically more of a male name, I do like the name though.

I know a couple and the dad is Turkish, they live in Wales and have a little boy Emre which I have always liked.

Mizztikle · 07/05/2025 14:56

I like Dilara and Serenay, very unusual and pretty I've never heard them before.

Lovethesparklylights · 07/05/2025 14:42

Boy names:
Reyan / Reyyan - not a fan of Ray names
Evren - like
Kerem - /ok
Reis - assume pronounced like Rhys. Like

Girl names:
Meryem - not a fan, assume it is the same as Miriam
Serenay - cute
Esra - like
Serin - sounds like a poison gas
Dilara - like, similar to delilah

What about Tarik for a boy.

Emanwenym · 07/05/2025 14:25

@user1470907786 , I live somewhere multicultural and Rayyan/Rayan and Maryam are popular names. There are all sorts of names, so I'd probably ask how they say their name.

Is the surname Turkish?

Moreteaandchocolate · 07/05/2025 13:58

Reyan / Reyyan - Ray-an - not keen on Ray for short (names tend to get shortened in secondary if not before)
Evren - love this
Kerem - sounds a bit feminine / similar to Karen
Reis - Rays - I quite like it - could get confused with Rhys

Girl names:
Meryem - Merry-em - nice but could get confused with Maryam
Serenay - sounds like serenade
Esra - too much like the boys name Ezra so sounds masculine
Serin - love love this!
Dilara - not keen on the Dil part - maybe because Dil- words are often negative (Dilapidated, delirious etc)

I would pick Evren and Serin - love both!

Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 13:24

Interesting you say this as the names you mention are in fact from Turkish origin whereas some of them, eg Meryem is the Turkish variant of the Arabic Maryam!

It’s so helpful to get these opinions and reactions to the names.

OP posts:
Original poster
user1470907786 · 07/05/2025 13:22

Ah thanks for all your thoughts!

One potential issue we have with Kerem:
could be likened to “Kermit” the frog or sounds too much like “cream/créme”?

According to DH!

Am I overthinking?!

OP posts:
user1492757084 · 07/05/2025 11:43

I like all of your girls names.

Some other attractive Turkish names:

Kemal
Murat
Aslan
Dilan
Fatih - cute if he is chubby.
Atlas
Ender

Alara
Miray
Harika
Zahra
Hazal
Sofya
Arzu

Johaanah · 07/05/2025 11:43

I like them all other than Meryem - it's quite old fashioned I feel, Kerem and Esra are my favourites from your list.

renoleno · 07/05/2025 11:43

Evren, Kerem, Serin and Dilara are unusual, roll off the tongue well for a non Turkish speaker like myself, sound lovely and more Turkish to me than the others which could also be Jewish or Arabic/Persian/South Asian. The hardest to pronounce from all those is Reyyan and Reis as they’ll be called Ryan and Reece with no reference to their heritage.

Comedycook · 07/05/2025 11:40

I like Kerem and Serin best.

murasaki · 07/05/2025 11:38

Reyan and Serin are my favourites. Both lovely.

Rubyupbeat · 07/05/2025 11:35

I love all of these names.