Comparison·Top 10
TÜİK · ADNKS 2025Çelik or Yıldız?
Çelik and Yıldız are almost level: in 2025 only 20,575 people separate them. Since 2018 both have grown at the same pace (5.5%). Nationally Çelik ranks 4th and Yıldız 5th.1
SURNAME · No. 4
Çelik
“steel; tough, resilient”
- People
- 717,655
- Per 1,000
- 8.3
- Since 2018
- +5.5%
- Provinces led
- 1
- Origin
- Turkic
- Category
- Metals and gemstones
SURNAME · No. 5
Yıldız
“star”
- People
- 697,080
- Per 1,000
- 8.1
- Since 2018
- +5.5%
- Provinces led
- 1
- Origin
- Turkic
- Category
- Sky, sun, moon and stars
How have Çelik and Yıldız changed since 2018?
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Çelik | 680,558 | 688,604 | 695,044 | 701,315 | 706,814 | 710,598 | 714,184 | 717,655 |
| Yıldız | 660,780 | 668,478 | 674,918 | 680,948 | 686,329 | 690,153 | 693,634 | 697,080 |
| Year | Çelik | Yıldız | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 680,558 | 660,780 | 1.03 |
| 2019 | 688,604 | 668,478 | 1.03 |
| 2020 | 695,044 | 674,918 | 1.03 |
| 2021 | 701,315 | 680,948 | 1.03 |
| 2022 | 706,814 | 686,329 | 1.03 |
| 2023 | 710,598 | 690,153 | 1.03 |
| 2024 | 714,184 | 693,634 | 1.03 |
| 2025 | 717,655 | 697,080 | 1.03 |
Which one leads in which provinces?
In the 2025 province lists, Çelik ranks above Yıldız in 49 provinces and Yıldız above Çelik in 32 provinces.1
Çelik ahead
The most populous entries are shown; the figure is the count in that province.
Do they share a root?
Both Çelik and Yıldız go back to words of Turkic origin, and both are of the plain noun type.
- Çelik Çelik is steel, the iron-carbon alloy that is quenched to make it hard and springy. Figuratively it describes someone tough and resilient, çelik gibi, “like steel”. The word has the same form in Ottoman Turkish and is also a male given name.
- Yıldız The name is simply the Turkish word for a star shining in the night sky; Old Turkic recorded it as yultuz. Figuratively it also means a person who shines and stands out among others. It is used as a given name for both girls and boys.
How is this comparison made?
Sources
- 1Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK) · ADNKS, TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK) · ADNKS, TÜİK ADNKS: Cinsiyete göre nüfus, Türkiye ve 81 il