Index·45 elements
Surname affixes and elements
Many Turkish surnames are built from two parts. This index lists 45 first elements, suffixes and compound elements; each page explains the element’s meaning and grammar and shows the surnames built with it in a tree grouped by the other half.
First elements (prefixes)
Words that open a surname and qualify what follows: Öz-, Ak-, Kara-.
- Öz- 114 surnames own; pure, genuine, true Öztürk · Özdemir · Özkan · Özcan
- Ak- 102 surnames white; clean, honest, unblemished Aktaş · Ağgül · Akad · Akalan
- Kara- 57 surnames black; strong, great Karaali · Karaaslan · Karababa · Karabacak
- Al- 14 surnames red, crimson Albayrak · Albayram · Alçelik · Alçiçek
- Gök- 24 surnames sky, heaven; blue Gökalp · Gökay · Gökbakar · Gökberk
- Er- 63 surnames man, brave warrior Erdoğan · Eralp · Eraslan · Eray
- Ay- 44 surnames moon; beautiful, radiant Ayata · Ayaydın · Aybaba · Aybars
- Kaya- 7 surnames rock; firm, unshakeable Kayaalp · Kayabaş · Kayabaşı · Kayacan
- Demir- 25 surnames iron; hard, enduring Demirağ · Demiral · Demiralay · Demiralp
- Kızıl- 14 surnames red Kızılay · Kızılboğa · Kızılcan · Kızılcık
- Boz- 15 surnames grey, dun Bozarslan · Bozatlı · Bozbay · Bozbey
- Sarı- 9 surnames yellow; fair-haired Sarıalioğlu · Sarıbaş · Sarıca · Sarıgül
- Yüce- 8 surnames exalted, lofty, high Yücedağ · Yüceer · Yücekök · Yücel
- Gür- 19 surnames abundant, vigorous, strong Güral · Güray · Gürayman · Gürcan
- Koca- 8 surnames big, great; old, elder Kocabaş · Kocabıyık · Kocaer · Kocagöz
- Alp- 15 surnames hero, valiant warrior Alpar · Alparslan · Alpaslan · Alpay
- Şen- 21 surnames cheerful, merry Şenalp · Şenay · Şencan · Şendil
Suffixes
Endings that close a surname and mark belonging, trade or descent: -lı, -cı, -oğlu.
- -oğlu 287 surnames son of; of the family of Abacıoğlu · Abalıoğlu · Abaoğlu · Abbasoğlu
- -türk 30 surnames Turk, Turkish Öztürk · Acartürk · Aktürk · Alptürk
- -er 74 surnames man, warrior Acuner · Aker · Alper · Altıner
- -el 21 surnames realm, people, country Akel · Altınel · Altunel · Çelikel
- -kan 24 surnames blood, lineage; (in some names) khan, ruler Özkan · Akkan · Alkan · Arıkan
- -soy 29 surnames lineage, descent, family Aksoy · Alpsoy · Altınsoy · Arcasoy
- -man / -men 19 surnames augmentative; '-like' Akman · Akmen · Alpman · Ataman
- -ay 37 surnames moon; beautiful, radiant Akay · Alpay · Altınay · Altunay
- -han 26 surnames khan, ruler Akhan · Alphan · Arhan · Atılhan
- -bey 3 surnames bey, lord, chief Atabey · Bozbey · Özbey
- -ler / -lar 24 surnames plural; family group Altıoklar · Atalar · Aydınlar · Benler
- -lı / -li / -lu / -lü 161 surnames from (a place); having, with Abalı · Adalı · Ahıskalı · Akbaşlı
- -cı / -ci / -cu / -cü / -çı / -çi / -çu / -çü 168 surnames maker, seller, worker of Abacı · Afyoncu · Akıncı · Arabacı
Final compound elements
Elements that are words in their own right and close a compound: -taş, -kaya, -demir.
- -taş 34 surnames stone; firm Aktaş · Alataş · Altaş · Altıntaş
- -tekin 14 surnames prince Aktekin · Alptekin · Aytekin · Baytekin
- -alp 13 surnames hero, valiant Aydınalp · Aykutalp · Baturalp · Demiralp
- -baş / -başı 32 surnames head; chief, head of Açıkbaş · Ağırbaş · Akbaş · Altınbaş
- -dağ 24 surnames mountain Akdağ · Aladağ · Altındağ · Altundağ
- -kurt 6 surnames wolf Akkurt · Aykurt · Baykurt · Bozkurt
- -yiğit 5 surnames brave young man, valiant Başyiğit · Eryiğit · Karayiğit · Koçyiğit
- -doğan 14 surnames falcon; born, rising Erdoğan · Akdoğan · Alpdoğan · Aydoğan
- -arslan / -aslan 12 surnames lion Alparslan · Alpaslan · Arslantaş · Bozarslan
- -demir 23 surnames iron; hardness, endurance Özdemir · Akdemir · Aldemir · Aydemir
- -kaya 38 surnames rock Akçakaya · Akkaya · Alkaya · Alpkaya
- -çelik 4 surnames steel Akçelik · Alçelik · Özçelik · Sertçelik
- -gül 17 surnames rose Ağgül · Akgül · Algül · Atagül
- -gün 15 surnames day; sun Akgün · Atagün · Aygün · Elgün
- -can 33 surnames soul, life; dear one Özcan · Akcan · Alican · Arıcan