Comparison·Top 10
TÜİK · ADNKS 2025Yılmaz or Şahin?
For every Şahin there are about 1.71 Yılmazs (2025). Since 2018 both have grown at the same pace (3.8%). Nationally Yılmaz ranks 1st and Şahin 6th.1
SURNAME · No. 1
Yılmaz
“undaunted, one who never gives up”
- People
- 1,177,896
- Per 1,000
- 13.7
- Since 2018
- +3.8%
- Provinces led
- 57
- Origin
- Turkic
- Category
- Courage and resilience
SURNAME · No. 6
Şahin
“hawk, buzzard”
- People
- 688,214
- Per 1,000
- 8.0
- Since 2018
- +4.2%
- Provinces led
- 4
- Origin
- Persian
- Category
- Birds of prey
How have Yılmaz and Şahin changed since 2018?
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yılmaz | 1,134,443 | 1,144,894 | 1,152,872 | 1,160,248 | 1,167,108 | 1,171,014 | 1,174,516 | 1,177,896 |
| Şahin | 660,634 | 667,161 | 672,026 | 676,707 | 680,655 | 683,206 | 685,727 | 688,214 |
| Year | Yılmaz | Şahin | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,134,443 | 660,634 | 1.72 |
| 2019 | 1,144,894 | 667,161 | 1.72 |
| 2020 | 1,152,872 | 672,026 | 1.72 |
| 2021 | 1,160,248 | 676,707 | 1.71 |
| 2022 | 1,167,108 | 680,655 | 1.71 |
| 2023 | 1,171,014 | 683,206 | 1.71 |
| 2024 | 1,174,516 | 685,727 | 1.71 |
| 2025 | 1,177,896 | 688,214 | 1.71 |
Which one leads in which provinces?
In the 2025 province lists, Yılmaz ranks above Şahin in 76 provinces and Şahin above Yılmaz in 5 provinces.1
Yılmaz ahead
The most populous entries are shown; the figure is the count in that province.
Do they share a root?
Yılmaz goes back to a Turkic word, Şahin to a Persian one; Yılmaz is a from a verb and Şahin a plain noun formation.
- Yılmaz The verb yılmak means to be daunted, to lose heart and back away; the suffix -maz negates it. Yılmaz therefore describes someone who does not lose heart and does not give up in the face of hardship. It was already a male given name before the Surname Law.
- Şahin The şahin is a medium-sized bird of prey of the hawk family, living in mountains and woodland; English renders it as buzzard or hawk. The word comes from Persian and is connected with şāh, “king”. As a name it stands for the bird’s keen eye, courage and agility.
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