Comparison·Top 10
TÜİK · ADNKS 2025Kaya or Çelik?
For every Çelik there are about 1.25 Kayas (2025). Since 2018, Kaya has grown 6.1% and Çelik 5.5%, so the gap is widening. Nationally Kaya ranks 2nd and Çelik 4th.1
SURNAME · No. 2
Kaya
“rock, crag”
- People
- 899,722
- Per 1,000
- 10.5
- Since 2018
- +6.1%
- Provinces led
- 5
- Origin
- Turkic
- Category
- Mountains, rocks and stones
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
How have Kaya and Çelik changed since 2018?
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaya | 847,737 | 858,398 | 866,547 | 875,113 | 883,067 | 888,828 | 894,360 | 899,722 |
| Çelik | 680,558 | 688,604 | 695,044 | 701,315 | 706,814 | 710,598 | 714,184 | 717,655 |
| Year | Kaya | Çelik | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 847,737 | 680,558 | 1.25 |
| 2019 | 858,398 | 688,604 | 1.25 |
| 2020 | 866,547 | 695,044 | 1.25 |
| 2021 | 875,113 | 701,315 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 883,067 | 706,814 | 1.25 |
| 2023 | 888,828 | 710,598 | 1.25 |
| 2024 | 894,360 | 714,184 | 1.25 |
| 2025 | 899,722 | 717,655 | 1.25 |
Which one leads in which provinces?
In the 2025 province lists, Kaya ranks above Çelik in 58 provinces and Çelik above Kaya in 23 provinces.1
Kaya ahead
The most populous entries are shown; the figure is the count in that province.
Do they share a root?
Both Kaya and Çelik go back to words of Turkic origin, and both are of the plain noun type.
- Kaya A kaya is a large, hard mass of rock rising out of the ground, a word Turkish has used since its oldest records. As a surname it carries the image of firmness and endurance, something that cannot be shaken. Kaya is also a male given name.
- 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.
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