Defne

♀ Girl

Pronounced DEF-neh /ˈdɛf.nɛ/Medium

Meaning: Turkish form of Daphne — Greek daphne, 'laurel, bay tree'High

In 30 seconds: Laurel-leaved and Turkish-bright: Defne is the Turkish Daphne — 'laurel, bay tree'. Fresh, green, and graceful.

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Origin HighTurkish, Greek

MeaningTurkish form of Daphne — Greek daphne, 'laurel, bay tree'

U.S. rank (2025)#4285 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births33 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2017

Total births (all-time)≈ 659

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Defne is the Turkish form of Daphne — from Greek daphne, 'laurel, bay tree' (the nymph turned into a laurel to escape Apollo). A fresh, green name and a top Turkish favorite.

In the U.S. it appears in Turkish families. Rare, laurel at the root, and graceful.

Did you know? Defne is the Turkish form of Daphne — Greek for the laurel tree (into which the nymph Daphne was transformed); it's a hugely popular Turkish name.

Overall data confidence 82%

Behind the Name — Defne — etymology

Variations

DaphneDafne

Nicknames

Def

Famous Bearers

★Defne Samyeli (1971-)
Turkish television presenter and actress popular in the 1990s and 2000s

If you like Defne…

Daphne— the Greek/English form

Dafne— the Spanish/Italian form

Ela— a companion Turkish name

Delphine— shares the -ne ending

Christine— another Greek name

Explore names like Defne

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Defne mean?

Defne is the Turkish Daphne, Greek for 'laurel, bay tree'.

How do you pronounce Defne?

It's said DEF-neh /ˈdɛf.nɛ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Defne a boy or girl name?

Defne is a girl's name.

How popular is Defne?

Defne is a rare name in the U.S., popular in Turkey.