Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 5,050

Yeşilay

Yeşilay /jeʃiˈɫaj/ ASCII Yesilay

“green moon”3

Probable origin Yeşilay: root entries for yeşil + ay · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
7 / 3
Formation
1934 coinage
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
Y
Cite and share
Download card

How do you pronounce Yeşilay?

Yeşilay

IPA /jeʃiˈɫaj/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Yeşilay mean?

Yeşilay is formed from yeşil, “green”, and ay, “moon”: “green moon”. The same name is well known as that of the Yeşilay society, founded in 1920 to combat addiction.1,3

That Yeşilay goes back to yeşil and ay is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Yeşilay made of?

Yeşilay is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: yeşil (yeşil: green) + ay (ay: moon).

Yeşilay + root yeşil yeşil: green TURKIC yeşil “green” root ay ay: moon TURKIC ay “moon” Yeşilay yeşil root yeşil: green yeşil TURKIC “green” ay root ay: moon ay TURKIC “moon”
Yeşilay: parts and root words

How was the name Yeşilay formed?

Yeşilay is a name newly coined from yeşil (“yeşil: green”) and ay (“ay: moon”) in the years of the surname law.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Which surnames are related to Yeşilay?

Yeşilay Yeşil Yeşilyurt Yeşilkaya Yeşiltepe Yeşilbaş Yeşiltaş
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Yeşil same root – –
02 Yeşilyurt same root – –
03 Yeşilkaya same root – –
04 Yeşiltepe same root – –
05 Yeşilbaş same root – –
06 Yeşiltaş same root – –
07 Yeşilçay same root – –
08 Yeşilgöz same root – –
09 Yeşilöz same root – –
10 Yeşilbayır same root – –
11 Yeşilmen same root – –
12 Yeşilnil same root – –

How is Yeşilay written and pronounced abroad?

In English-language records it often appears as Yesilay.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Yeşilay?

Sevimay, Somay and Taşay share gloss keywords with Yeşilay within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Yeşilay?

Read the root, formation and register information for Yeşilay alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: ay accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Yeşilay accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: yeşil accessed 9 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Yeşilay

Q1

What does the surname Yeşilay mean?

Yeşilay is formed from yeşil, “green”, and ay, “moon”: “green moon”. The same name is well known as that of the Yeşilay society, founded in 1920 to combat addiction.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Yeşilay?

Yeşilay is made up of two elements: yeşil “green” (Turkic) and ay “moon” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Yeşilay?

Ye·şi·lay, 3 syllables; IPA: /jeʃiˈɫaj/.