Turkish Girl Names That Mean Light
If you're drawn to Turkish girl names that mean light, you'll notice most of them don't glow like the sun — they glow like the moon.
Names47
OriginTurkish
MeaningLight
GenderGirl
Turkish naming tradition leans heavily on the moon rather than fire or sunlight, and that shows up again and again on this list. Aylin means 'halo of the moon' outright, and Eylin is simply a respelling of it — same meaning, softer letters.
That moon connection runs through the whole 'Ay-' family here, since ay is the Turkish word for moon. Ayla, Aylah, and Aiylah all trace back to that same root, each carrying a slightly different spelling of the same soft glow.
Why so many Turkish girl names that mean light are about the moon
Once you see the pattern, it's hard to unsee: Turkish moon-light names cluster around the syllable ay. Ayla anchors the group, with Aylah and Aiylah as spelling variants, while Aylin and its twin Eylin spell out 'halo of the moon' directly. Even the invented-feeling Aylee keeps that same sunny, moonlit '-Ay' opening.
Names that borrow light from neighboring languages
Not every name here is purely Turkish — Turkish naming culture has long absorbed Arabic and Persian words, and it shows. Ziya and Nuri come from Arabic roots for glow and 'my light,' Zehra is the Turkish form of Arabic Zahra meaning radiant, and Asya nods to sunrise in the east.
Names List
Ayla#77 in the U.S.Moonlight; or oak tree halo — Hebrew ayla (oak tree) or Turkish ay (moon) + la (light/halo)Pronounced AY-luh▶Aylin#345 in the U.S.From Turkish 'ay' (moon) and the suffix '-lin' suggesting a glow or halo, meaning 'halo of the moon' or 'Pronounced AY-lin▶Iyla#525 in the U.S.Variant spelling of Isla, from Scottish Gaelic referring to the island of Islay, Scotland; or of Ayla, frPronounced EYE-lah▶Aylah#1326 in the U.S.Oak tree, or halo of light around the moonPronounced AY-lah▶Ziya#1688 in the U.S."light, splendour, glow," from Arabic diyaPronounced zee-YAH▶Aiyla#2359 in the U.S.moonlight, halo of moonPronounced AY-luh▶Iylah#2465 in the U.S.oak tree or moonlightPronounced EYE-luh▶Nuri#2493 in the U.S.My lightPronounced NOO-ree▶Asya#3118 in the U.S.Sunrise or the east, from Turkish and Hebrew Asia; also a Russian diminutive of Anastasia meaning resurrePronounced AH-syah▶Ajla#3568 in the U.S.Moonlight, the halo around the moon; a Bosnian and Turkish name linked to Arabic-derived elements of lighPronounced EYE-lah▶Eyla#4052 in the U.S.Spelling linked to Turkish Ayla, 'moonlight, halo around the moon' — also a modern -yla name; routes layePronounced AY-lah▶Aylla#4192 in the U.S.Double-l spelling of Ayla — Turkish 'moonlight, halo around the moon'Pronounced AY-lah▶Ailynn#4546 in the U.S.Modern coinage echoing Aylin ('moonlight', Turkish) and the -lynn ending; no single fixed rootPronounced AY-lin▶Aylee#5802 in the U.S.A modern name with an Ay- opening (echoing Ayla, 'halo of light') and a -lee ending ('a meadow'); no singPronounced AY-lee▶Miray#6068 in the U.S.From Turkish miray, 'moonlight; the reflection of the moon on water' (linked to ay, 'moon')Pronounced mee-RY▶Zehra#6137 in the U.S.The Turkish form of Zahra — from Arabic zahra, 'radiant, blossoming; a flower; brilliance' (a title of FaPronounced ZEH-rah▶Eilah#6434 in the U.S.A spelling echoing the Hebrew Elah ('a terebinth tree; an oak') and the Turkish Ayla ('a halo of light arPronounced AY-lah▶Eylin#6447 in the U.S.A spelling of Aylin — from Turkish, 'moonlight; a halo of light around the moon' (ay, 'moon'); routes layPronounced AY-lin▶Aiylah#7235 in the U.S.A spelling of Ayla/Aila — variously 'oak tree; a doe' (Hebrew) and 'a halo of light around the moon; moonPronounced EYE-lah▶Ayline#7622 in the U.S.A spelling of Aylin — from Turkish, 'a halo around the moon; of the moon; moonlight' (ay, 'moon')Pronounced eye-LEEN▶Aylinn#7623 in the U.S.A spelling of Aylin — from Turkish, 'a halo around the moon; of the moon; moonlight' (ay, 'moon')Pronounced eye-LEEN▶Parla#7846 in the U.S.From Turkish parla, 'shine; sparkle; glow' (the imperative of parlamak, 'to shine'); routes layered with Pronounced PAR-lah▶Aylaa#8096 in the U.S.A doubled-a spelling of Ayla, a name read as Hebrew ('oak tree; terebinth') and as Turkish ('halo of lighPronounced AY-lah▶Tuleen#8364 in the U.S.A modern name, variously linked to the Turkish Tulin, 'moonlight reflected on water', and read as an ArabPronounced too-LEEN▶Eren#8580 in the U.S.From the Turkish eren, 'a saint; a holy/enlightened person; one who has reached spiritual maturity'; usedPronounced EH-ren▶Aaila#9521 in the U.S.A form of Aila/Ayla — variously 'moonlight; halo of light' (Turkish) and 'from the strong oak' (Finnish/HPronounced AY-lah▶Eylen#9748 in the U.S.A modern name, echoing Eileen ('light/bright', Irish) and Aylin ('a halo around the moon', Turkish); no sPronounced AY-len▶Heilyn#9788 in the U.S.A modern Hispanic name, echoing Aylin ('a halo around the moon', Turkish) and Eileen ('light'); no singlePronounced AY-lin▶Suheyla#10156 in the U.S.A Turkish form of Suhaila — from the Arabic Suhayl (the star Canopus), hence 'a bright star'; also 'gentlPronounced soo-HAY-lah▶Aynoor#10352 in the U.S.From the Arabic ayn, 'eye', + noor, 'light', 'eye of light'; also linked to the Turkish Aynur, 'moonlightPronounced eye-NOOR▶Eylah#10506 in the U.S.A spelling of Elah/Ela, Hebrew for 'oak; terebinth tree,' also read near the Turkish Ayla ('halo of lightPronounced AY-lah▶Seher#10920 in the U.S.From the Turkish/Arabic seher (sahar), 'dawn; the pre-dawn hour; daybreak' — a poetic, hopeful time of daPronounced SEH-hair▶Hande#11426 in the U.S.A Turkish name of Persian root, meaning 'with a smile; laughing; the sound of laughter.' A bright, cheerfPronounced HAHN-deh▶Aaylah#12186 in the U.S.A spelling of Ayla, from the Turkish for 'moonlight; halo around the moon' and separately a Hebrew name mPronounced AY-lah▶Aylanna#12301 in the U.S.Aylanna reads as a modern blend of Ayla (Turkish 'moonlight; halo', or Hebrew 'oak tree') with an -anna ePronounced ay-LAN-uh▶Aylannie#12302 in the U.S.Aylannie reads as a modern blend of Ayla (Turkish 'moonlight; halo', or Hebrew 'oak') with a soft -annie Pronounced ay-LAN-ee▶Nuray#13062 in the U.S.From the Turkish nur ('light', from Arabic) and ay ('moon') — 'bright moon; moonlight'. A well-establishePronounced noo-RY▶Nourhan#13206 in the U.S.From the Arabic nur, 'light,' joined with the Turkish/Persian element -han (a title of dignity). Read togPronounced NOOR-han▶Almila#13525 in the U.S.From Turkish, generally explained as al ('red') plus mila/elma ('apple') - 'red apple.' A modern Turkish Pronounced al-mee-LAH▶Jeyda#14199 in the U.S.Jeyda is a spelling of the Turkish name Ceyda, given in Turkey and often glossed as 'beautiful' or 'radiaPronounced jay-DUH▶Ayelin#15574 in the U.S.A modern name that echoes Aylin (Turkish, 'halo of the moon; moonlight') and Ayelen (Mapuche, 'joy'). As Pronounced AY-uh-lin▶Aynur#15582 in the U.S.Aynur is a Turkish name compounding ay, 'moon', with nur, 'light' (a word borrowed from Arabic) — 'moonliPronounced eye-NOOR▶Inci#16166 in the U.S.From the Turkish inci, 'pearl' — a bright, simple word name, the Turkish counterpart to Margaret's meaninPronounced IN-jee▶Elanur#16210 in the U.S.A Turkish name built on nur ('light,' from Arabic), often read as 'light of the land' or paired with the Pronounced eh-lah-NOOR▶Aylamae#16915 in the U.S.A written-together compound of Ayla - a Turkish name meaning 'moonlight, halo,' also used as a Hebrew-linPronounced AY-luh-may▶Tuana#17469 in the U.S.Tuana is a popular modern Turkish girls' name. It is commonly glossed in Turkey as 'divine light' or as aPronounced too-AH-nah▶AylagraceA modern smoosh of Ayla (Turkish 'halo; moonlight,' also Hebrew 'oak tree') and Grace ('favor; elegance')Pronounced AY-luh-grays▶
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Frequently Asked
What is the most popular Turkish girl name that means light?
Ayla is by far the most common, currently ranked #77 in the US. It carries a double meaning — 'oak tree' in Hebrew and 'moonlight' in Turkish.
Is Aylin a common name outside Turkey?
Aylin is rising in the US, currently around rank #345, though it's far more established in Turkish-speaking families as a moonlight name.