Turkish surnames are a fairly recent phenomenon, as the use of surnames was not mandated in Turkish-speaking areas until after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923. The countries that most influenced Turkish surnames include Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Albania, Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Armenia.[1] Today, Turkish surnames can be found in Türkiye as well as in the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, indigenous minorities in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece and Georgia, and immigrant communities in Germany, France, The Netherlands, the UK, Austria, Canada, the USA and Australia.
History of Turkish surnames
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Türkiye was officially named a republic in 1923.[2] Under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republic of Turkey passed the “Surname Law” in 1934 which mandated all citizens adopt a surname.
When the law went into effect, “foreign” name suffixes were not allowed. All surnames had to be Turkish which reflected the desire for “Turkification” and forced some ethnic groups to assume modified versions of their existing names.[3] The new surnames were chosen by the eldest male in the household, many of whom opted for names associated with their family heritage, ancestors, family occupation, or place of origin.[4] The law aimed to modernize the country and make it easier to identify individuals for government and legal purposes. The adoption of surnames was initially met with resistance, as it was seen as a Western imposition. However, the law eventually gained acceptance, and surnames became a permanent part of Turkish culture.[5]
Prior to this, Turks used patronymic hereditary names, where an individual's name was based on a descriptive professional title (such as Pasha or Bey) or a handle derived from their father's name (for example, Özden oğlu Mehmet, meaning Mehmet, the son of Özden). The more privileged Turks used an Iranian prefix “zade” (meaning “born, son”), such as Sami Pashazade Ahmet Bey.[6]
Turkish naming conventions
Turkish naming conventions are based on the given name, which is followed by the surname. The given name is chosen by the parents, and often based on the meanings and cultural significance of the name.[7]
Turkish surnames are passed down from generation to generation, with children typically taking their father’s name. Women will typically take their husband’s name after marriage or add their husband’s name to the end of their maiden surname.
In Cyprus and Northern Cyprus, much of the Turkish Cypriot population adheres to traditional practices and adopts their father’s personal name as their surname instead of using a family name.[8]
Most popular Turkish surnames
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute the 10 most common Turkish surnames, along with their meanings, are[8]:
- Yılmaz ("resolute" or "determined")
- Gunes (“sun”)
- Kaya ("rock" or "cliff")
- Demir ("iron")
- Şahin ("falcon" or "hawk")
- Öztürk ("pure Turkish")
- Çelik (“steel”)
- Yıldız ("star”)
- Özdemir ("pure iron")
- Arslan ("lion")
The distribution of surnames in Türkiye varies based on geographic location. For example, the surname Yılmaz is most common in central Türkiye, while the surname Kaya is most common in eastern Türkiye. The surname Şahin is most common in western Türkiye, and the surname Demir is most common in the Black Sea region.
Celebrities with Turkish surnames
There are many well-known celebrities with Turkish surnames:
- Aziz Ansari is a popular American comedian and actor
- Ayda Sabahat Field is a Turkish-American actress
- Ersan İlyasova is a Turkish former NBA player
- Derya Arbaş (born Derya Zerrin Berti), daughter of Turkish beauty queen and actress Zerrin Arbaş and Native American actor Dehl Berti
Explore more about Turkish surnames
- View a map of ethnicities in Türkiye at MyHeritage
- Search the Türkiye record collection at MyHeritage
- Research population statistics, census information and more at theTurkish Statistical Institute
- Surname Narratives and the State-Society Boundary: Memories of Turkey’s Family Name Law of 1934 at JSTOR
References
- ↑ Countries with the Greatest Turkish Influence. Names.org
- ↑ The Birth of the Republic of Turkey, 1920-23. The Ottoman Empire: Page 10 – Birth of the Turkish Republic. New Zealand History
- ↑ What's in a Name? Surname Tradition in Turkey
- ↑ https://www.worldlastnames.com/turkish-last-names/
- ↑ Surname Law - a profound change in Turkish history. Yeni Şafak
- ↑ Szurek, Emmanuel. To Call a Turk a Turk: Patronymic Nationalism in Turkey in the 1930s. Revue d’histoire moderne & contemporaine Volume 60-2, Issue 2, 2013
- ↑ Turkish Culture: Naming. SBS Culture Atlas
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A GUIDE TO NAMES AND NAMING PRACTICES. Financial and Banking Information Infrastructure Committee