Why do turkey [animal] and Turkey [country] share the same name? [Explained]

The reason why the bird turkey and the country Turkey (currently Türkiye) share the same name is rooted in historical confusion and trade routes. The story is an interesting mix of misidentification, global trade, and colonial exploration.

How the Bird “Turkey” Got Its Name

Historical depiction of Ottoman merchants in a bustling market selling guineafowl, which looks likes turkey, with traditional attire, cages, and vibrant surroundings. — Ottoman merchants played a pivotal role in introducing guinea fowl to Europe, exporting these birds through Turkey. This trade led Europeans to call the bird the “Turkey bird” or simply “turkey.” Later, Spanish explorers brought back a larger, similar-looking bird from the Americas. Mistaking it for the already familiar “turkey bird,” Europeans gave the American bird the same name. This historical mix-up highlights the fascinating connections between trade, culture, and the names we use today.

The bird we now know as the turkey is native to the Americas, not Turkey (the country). However, when the bird was first brought to Europe in the early 1500s, Europeans mistakenly believed it came from the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey).

Here’s why:

Ottoman Trade Influence:
Merchants from the Ottoman Empire introduced a type of guinea fowl to Europe. This bird, imported via Turkey, became known as the “Turkey bird” or simply “turkey”. Later, when Spanish explorers brought back the larger, similar-looking bird from the Americas, Europeans associated it with the already familiar “turkey bird” and gave it the same name.
Christopher Columbus and India:
When Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, he (supposedly) believed he had landed in India. Because of this, many things from the New World were misattributed to India or Asia, including the bird, turkey.

A Guineafowl. These birds, known for their speckled plumage and unique calls, were brought to Europe by Turkish merchants, leading to their association with Turkey (the country). This misattribution later influenced the naming of the turkey bird from the Americas. — Guineafowl, members of the Numididae family in the order Galliformes, are native to Africa and were once widely traded through the Ottoman Empire. These birds, known for their speckled plumage and unique calls, were brought to Europe by Turkish merchants, leading to their association with Turkey (the country). This misattribution later influenced the naming of the turkey bird from the Americas. Photo by Bob – Picasa Web Albums, CC BY 3.0, Link

The Name in Turkish: Hindi

In Turkish, the bird is called “hindi”, which means “from India”. This name reflects the same confusion; Turks believed the bird came from India because of early trade routes and the widespread association of New World goods with India.

Other Names Reflecting Confusion

This naming confusion isn’t unique to English or Turkish:

In French, the turkey is called dinde, short for poule d’Inde (“chicken from India”).
In Portuguese, it is peru, mistakenly associating the bird with Peru in South America.

Why the Confusion Persisted

At the time, global exploration was in its infancy, and people often misattributed exotic goods and animals to the wrong places based on limited knowledge. This resulted in the turkey being incorrectly associated with both Turkey and India despite being native to the Americas.