16,585 People With Kurdish Name Zîlan in Turkey

According to the statistics released by Interior Ministry upon our application, 16,585 people used the name Zîlan - a Kurdish name. Other commonly used Kurdish names included Berîtan (7,822), Mazlûm (13,865), Şoreş (260).

The frequency of name usage mostly concentrated on Amed (Diyarbakır, 7,203) and Mardin (6,013).

Other cities included Wan (Van), Şirnex (Şırnak), Riha (Urfa), Batman, Mûş (Muş), Sêrt (Siirt) and Agirî (Ağrı).

According to the ministry statistics, the distribution of people who use these Kurdish names are as follows: Zîlan (16,585), Mazlûm (13,865), Berîtan (7,882) and Şoreş (260). The statistics also reveal that at least one person in every department in Turkey use these names. 

Meaning and importance behind names

Zîlan is alias of Zeynep Kınacı, a PKK guerrilla who blew herself up with explosives in Dersim in 1996.

Berîtan is alias of Gülnaz Karataş, a Kurdish activist who jumped off a cliff not to surrender to Turkish Army during an armed clash on October 25, 1992. 

Mazlûm is alias of Mazlûm Doğan, a PKK leader who hang himself in protest to the brutality in Diyarbakır Prison on a Newroz day. 

Şoreş is common name and alias of PKK guerrillas which means "revolution" in Kurdish. (BA/BK/BM)