A form of Daphne, from Greek meaning laurel tree.
Defne is the Turkish form of Daphne, a name rooted in one of Greek mythology's most poignant and violent transformations. In the Metamorphoses of Ovid and earlier Greek sources, Daphne was a naiad — a freshwater nymph and daughter of the river god Peneus — who was pursued by the god Apollo after Eros struck him with a golden arrow of desire. As Apollo overtook her, Daphne called upon her father for rescue and was transformed into a laurel tree.
Apollo, heartbroken, declared the laurel sacred to himself, weaving it into his wreath and making it the symbol of poetic achievement and victory. The Greek word daphne simply means laurel or bay laurel, the aromatic Mediterranean tree whose leaves have crowned victors, poets, and emperors from ancient Athens through Renaissance Europe. The name thus carries both the literary tragedy of the myth and the triumphant symbolism of the laurel crown — a poetic duality that has made it enduringly appealing.
In its Turkish form Defne the name has been thoroughly naturalized, shedding its Greek associations in Turkey's cultural context while retaining the botanical beauty of its meaning. Defne became one of the most popular feminine names in Turkey during the 1990s and 2000s, driven partly by its appearance in Turkish television dramas and its soft, two-syllable sound. It represents a broader trend in Turkish naming toward classical names with clear natural meanings that feel modern and elegant. Outside Turkey, Defne is used by Turkish diaspora communities in Germany, the Netherlands, and elsewhere, and has occasionally been chosen by non-Turkish parents drawn to its melodic sound and the mythological depth behind it.