SURNAMENo. 20
ADNKS 2025Şimşek
“lightning flash”4
- CategoryWind, rain and lightning
- OriginTurkic
- FormPlain noun
#20 The 20th most common surname in Türkiye 253,543 peopleTÜİK ADNKS 20251
- Letters / syllables
- 6 / 2
- Formation
- Plain noun
Contents§1–§16
How do you pronounce Şimşek?
The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Şimşek mean?
Şimşek is the flash of lightning that lights up the sky when electricity discharges between clouds. Unlike yıldırım it does not strike the ground; its sudden brilliance gives an image of speed and vigour. Şimşek gibi, “like lightning”, describes very quick movement.4
Şimşek is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.
What is Şimşek made of?
Şimşek is a single root: şimşek (lightning flash).
- şimşek Turkic — flash of lightning4
How was the name Şimşek formed?
Şimşek belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.
How many people in Türkiye are called Şimşek?
Şimşek is the 20th most common surname, 20,328 behind Polat and 3,401 ahead of Korkmaz.1
Bearers by year
| 2018 | 242,142 |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 244,890 |
| 2020 | 246,792 |
| 2021 | 248,914 |
| 2022 | 250,603 |
| 2023 | 251,491 |
| 2024 | 252,505 |
| 2025 | 253,543 |
Şimşek gained 11,401 bearers between 2018 and 2025, yet its share slipped from 2.95 to 2.95 per 1,000 people, because the population grew faster. It has held 20th place every year since 2018.1,2
How has Şimşek ranked over the years?
| Year | Rank | People | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | 253,543 | +1,038 | [1] |
| 2024 | 20 | 252,505 | +1,014 | [1] |
| 2023 | 20 | 251,491 | +888 | [1] |
| 2022 | 20 | 250,603 | +1,689 | [1] |
| 2021 | 20 | 248,914 | +2,122 | [1] |
| 2020 | 20 | 246,792 | +1,902 | [1] |
| 2019 | 20 | 244,890 | +2,748 | [1] |
| 2018 | 20 | 242,142 | – | [1] |
Where in Türkiye is Şimşek most common?
Şimşek is outside the national top 30, but it appears in the top-30 lists of 35 provinces; its best rank is 10th in Karaman.1
- In the province top 30 35
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Istanbul | 26 | 40,818 |
| 02 | Ankara | 18 | 21,986 |
| 03 | Izmir | 26 | 11,578 |
| 04 | Antalya | 14 | 10,901 |
| 05 | Mersin | 13 | 9,797 |
| 06 | Gaziantep | 22 | 9,114 |
How often would you meet a Şimşek?
About one person in 340 in Türkiye is a Şimşek; a town of 10,000 would have around 30.
253,543 ÷ 86,092,168 × 1,000 ≈ 3.0 1,2
The calculation divides bearers by the 2025 ADNKS population; a real school or class will differ by region.
How does Şimşek compare with similar surnames?
Surnames in the “Wind, rain and lightning” category and the Şimşek family:
- 7 Yıldırım 666,723
- 18 Koç 286,207
- 19 Polat 273,871
- 20 Şimşek 253,543
- 21 Korkmaz 250,142
- 22 Özkan 245,254
Şimşek and Korkmaz are carried by almost exactly as many people.
How many people are called Mehmet Şimşek?
These are estimates that assume given names and surnames are independent. In reality, families and regions do not choose names independently, so read them as orders of magnitude.
| # | Full name | Estimated people |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mehmet Şimşek | ≈3,746estimate |
| 02 | Fatma Şimşek | ≈3,393estimate |
| 03 | Mustafa Şimşek | ≈3,115estimate |
| 04 | Ayşe Şimşek | ≈2,671estimate |
| 05 | Ahmet Şimşek | ≈2,524estimate |
Who are some well-known people named Şimşek?
- Mehmet Şimşek politician 1967–
- Kenan Şimşek amateur wrestler 1968–
- Çağla Şimşek actor 2002–
- Sibel Şimşek weightlifter 1984–
- Yusuf Şimşek association football player 1975–
- Beykan Şimşek association football player 1995–
- Olgun Şimşek actor 1971–
- Rıdvan Şimşek association football player 1991–
People surnamed Şimşek as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Şimşek also a first name?
Yes. Şimşek is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “lightning flash”.
Şimşek as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
How is Şimşek written and pronounced abroad?
In passports and records outside Turkey Şimşek is usually written Simsek.
Where do these facts come from?
- 1 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK ADNKS: Cinsiyete göre nüfus, Türkiye ve 81 il
- 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: şimşek
- 4 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: şimşek
- 5 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 6 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı — En çok kullanılan isimler (ADNKS)
- 7 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 8 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759)
- 9 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 10 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Şimşek
- Q1
What does the surname Şimşek mean?
- Şimşek is the flash of lightning that lights up the sky when electricity discharges between clouds. Unlike yıldırım it does not strike the ground; its sudden brilliance gives an image of speed and vigour. Şimşek gibi, “like lightning”, describes very quick movement.
- Q2
How many people in Türkiye have the surname Şimşek?
- 253,543 people, according to TÜİK ADNKS 2025, which places it at number 20 in Türkiye.
- Q3
What is the origin of the surname Şimşek?
- The root word of Şimşek is şimşek (Turkic): “flash of lightning”.
- Q4
How do you pronounce Şimşek?
- Şim·şek, 2 syllables; IPA: /ʃimˈʃec/.