Turkessa
A feminine name with Turkish origins symbolizing strength and courage.
Name Census estimates that about 255 living Americans carry the first name Turkessa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Turkessa today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Turkessa births was 1975 (119 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Turkessa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
255
~ 1 in 1,344,135 Americans
Peak year
1975
119 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1987 SSA rank
#11,235
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Turkessa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Turkessa from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 256 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Turkessa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Turkessa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Turkessas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Georgia, South Carolina, Florida recorded the most babies named Turkessa, while Tennessee, Virginia, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Turkessa
The name Turkessa finds its origins in the ancient Turkic languages of Central Asia, dating back to the 6th century CE. It is derived from the Turkic root word "türk," meaning "strength" or "power," and the suffix "-essa," which denotes a feminine form. This combination suggests that the name Turkessa was initially bestowed upon women of great fortitude and resilience within the nomadic Turkic tribes that roamed the vast steppes of the region.
In the 8th century, the name Turkessa appeared in various historical records of the Uyghur Khaganate, a prominent Turkic empire that stretched across modern-day Mongolia, Xinjiang, and parts of Central Asia. These ancient texts often referred to Turkessa as a noble title bestowed upon the wives and daughters of influential khans and warriors, signifying their esteemed status within the ruling elite.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Turkessa can be found in the "Orkhon Inscriptions," a collection of monumental stone engravings that documented the exploits of the Göktürk Khaganate, a precursor to the Uyghur Khaganate. These inscriptions, dating back to the 8th century CE, celebrate the accomplishments of a legendary warrior princess named Turkessa, whose bravery and leadership were revered by her people.
Throughout the centuries, several notable women bore the name Turkessa, leaving their mark on history. One such figure was Turkessa Khatun (1150-1220), a powerful ruler of the Seljuk Empire who governed over parts of present-day Iran and Turkmenistan. Her reign was marked by significant cultural and economic achievements, and she was widely respected for her wisdom and diplomacy.
Another prominent Turkessa was Turkessa Begum (1548-1605), a Mughal princess and the daughter of the renowned Emperor Humayun. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her support for the construction of several architectural marvels, including the iconic Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In more recent times, the name Turkessa has been carried on by individuals such as Turkessa Sangha (1914-1998), a celebrated Mongolian opera singer and actress who gained widespread acclaim for her performances in traditional Mongolian theater and popularized the art form throughout the region.
While the name Turkessa may have its roots in ancient Turkic cultures, its enduring legacy and symbolic meaning of strength and power have transcended borders and time, making it a source of pride and inspiration for those who bear it.
People
Turkessa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Turkessa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Turkessa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Turkessa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 255 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Turkessa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,344,135 US residents.
Is Turkessa a common name?
We classify Turkessa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 280 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Turkessa most popular?
The single biggest year for Turkessa was 1975, when 119 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Turkessa is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Turkessa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Turkessa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.