| Aylin | Esmeray | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon halo | dark moon |
| Origin | turkish | turkish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eye-LEEN | ES-meh-ray |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1973 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2015 (893) | 2025 (157) |
| In 2025 | 885 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aylin | Esmeray |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,692 | 394 |
| 2010s | 7,154 | 11 |
| 2000s | 3,730 | 0 |
| 1990s | 1,173 | 0 |
| 1980s | 91 | 0 |
| 1970s | 32 | 0 |
Aylin is a Turkish name built on 'ay' ('moon'), usually read as 'moon halo' or 'belonging to the moon.' The moon root is solid, though the exact second element is less certainly glossed.
From Turkish 'esmer' meaning 'dark, brunette' and 'ay' meaning 'moon', giving 'dark moon'. (A 'sunbeam/beloved' reading circulates but does not fit the Turkish elements and appears to be a folk reinterpretation.)
Aylin is more popular than Esmeray today: about 885 US babies were given the name Aylin in 2025, compared with 0 named Esmeray.
Aylin means Moon halo (turkish origin), while Esmeray means dark moon (turkish origin).
In US records, Aylin first appears in 1973 and Esmeray in 0, so Esmeray has the longer recorded history.