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Turkish Girl Names That Mean Moon

Turkish girl names that mean moon cluster around a single Turkish root, ay, and this list shows how many soft, luminous ways that syllable can grow.

Names43
OriginTurkish
MeaningMoon
GenderGirl

In Turkish, the word for moon is ay, and it shows up again and again in this list. Aysel and Ayzel both join that root to a soft second syllable, giving a name that means simply pure moon.

The bigger cluster circles Ayla itself, whose Turkish sense is moonlight. Aylin, Aiyla, Eyla, and Aylla all describe a halo of the moon, each a slightly different way of spelling the exact same soft idea.

Why Turkish Girl Names That Mean Moon Repeat the Same Root

Turkish naming tradition favors compact roots that recombine easily, which is why Turkish girl names that mean moon so often share the same few sounds. Ayla is the anchor, currently a US top-200 name, while Ajla carries that root into Bosnian naming too, known through tennis star Ajla Tomljanovic. Iyla leans toward a Scottish island name and Iylah toward a Hebrew name for oak tree, yet both also carry Ayla's Turkish moonlight reading.

From Pure Moon to Moonlight Halo: How the Meaning Shifts

Not every name here means the same thing. Aysel and Ayzel both translate as pure moon, a plain, simple description. Aylin reaches further into halo of the moon — the ring of light you sometimes see around it on a clear night. Ailynn, a newer coinage built on the Ai- sound, echoes that same moonlight warmth. Aylah, the same spelling that made Jean Auel's novel famous, carries a halo of light in its Hebrew reading.

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▶Aysel#2064 in the U.S.Pure moonPronounced AYS-ehl▶Aiyla#2359 in the U.S.moonlight, halo of moonPronounced AY-luh▶Iylah#2465 in the U.S.oak tree or moonlightPronounced EYE-luh▶Ayzel#2884 in the U.S.Pure moonPronounced AYZ-ehl▶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▶Selin#4630 in the U.S.From Turkish Selin, 'a flowing flood/torrent' (or from selen); also echoes Celine ('moon'); routes layerePronounced seh-LEEN▶Miray#6068 in the U.S.From Turkish miray, 'moonlight; the reflection of the moon on water' (linked to ay, 'moon')Pronounced mee-RY▶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▶Mihrimah#7817 in the U.S.From Persian/Turkish mihr, 'the sun; love', + mah, 'the moon' — 'sun and moon'Pronounced MEER-ee-mah▶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▶Ezmeray#9248 in the U.S.Ezmeray matches the Turkish name Esmeray, built from esmer ('dark, dusky') and ay ('moon'). In U.S. use iPronounced EZ-muh-ray▶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▶Zuhal#10291 in the U.S.Zuhal is the Arabic name of the planet Saturn, adopted into Turkish and Persian. It is used as a girls' nPronounced zoo-HAHL▶Ayli#10350 in the U.S.A modern given name in the Ayla/Ayli family; the Ay- element links to the Turkish ay, 'moon' (Ayli, 'moonPronounced AY-lee▶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▶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▶Aysu#12308 in the U.S.Aysu is a Turkish and Azerbaijani girl's name meaning 'moon water', from ay ('moon') plus su ('water'). IPronounced AY-soo▶Nuray#13062 in the U.S.From the Turkish nur ('light', from Arabic) and ay ('moon') — 'bright moon; moonlight'. A well-establishePronounced noo-RY▶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▶Aylina#15578 in the U.S.A modern name that echoes the Turkish ay, 'moon,' finished with a soft -lina ending. As spelled it reads Pronounced ay-LEE-nah▶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▶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▶Selen#17238 in the U.S.Selen is an established Turkish girls' name, usually glossed 'good news' or 'the sound of rushing water' Pronounced seh-LEN▶AylagraceA modern smoosh of Ayla (Turkish 'halo; moonlight,' also Hebrew 'oak tree') and Grace ('favor; elegance')Pronounced AY-luh-grays▶AysanAysan sits in the family of Turkish and Azerbaijani names built on 'ay' ('moon'), like Aylin and Aysu, anPronounced ay-SAHN▶TulinFrom the Turkish Tulin, 'the halo around the moon.' A soft, poetic nature name, noted honestly.Pronounced too-LEEN▶

More Turkish Meaning Guides

Girl Names That Mean Light

Frequently Asked

What does Ayla mean?

Ayla has two roots: Hebrew for oak tree, and Turkish for moonlight. The Turkish reading is the one most parents connect to, especially since the name gained popularity through Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear novels.

Is Aylin a Turkish name?

Yes. Aylin is Turkish for halo of the moon, a soft, celestial image describing the glow that circles a full moon. It has been climbing in use in the US in recent years.

Why are there so many spellings of Ayla?

Parents often reshape a favorite sound to make it feel more personal. Aiyla, Eyla, and Aylla are all Turkish variant spellings carrying moonlight or halo-of-the-moon meanings, while Aylah is the same spelling shift read through a slightly different lens.