Affix·161 surnames
-lı / -li / -lu / -lü
from (a place); having, with
- Surnames
- 161
- in this dictionary
- In the national top 30
- 0
- ADNKS 2025
- Position
- final element
What does -lı / -li / -lu / -lü mean?
One suffix can do two separate jobs. Konyalı points to a place; Sakallı describes a feature. In both, the ending is -lı, which Turkish grammar calls the suffix of possession and belonging.
It has four shapes, chosen by the full vowel harmony of the language. After a or ı it is -lı: Konyalı, Bursalı, Sakallı. After e or i it is -li: Kayserili, Rizeli. After o or u it is -lu: Trabzonlu, Erzurumlu, Kutlu, Soylu. After ö or ü it is -lü: Ürgüplü, Gönüllü. The consonant stays the same throughout.
On a place name the suffix means ‘of that place, belonging there’. Konyalı is ‘of Konya’, Trabzonlu ‘of Trabzon’. Erzurumlu, Bursalı and Kayserili work the same way. Such a surname preserves the name of a place. It tells us nothing about where the people who carry it live today or where their families came from. The word documents a place, not a family history.
On an ordinary noun the suffix means ‘having it, provided with it’. Sakallı is ‘bearded’, literally ‘having a beard’. Kutlu is ‘blessed, fortunate’, from kut, an Old Turkic word for ‘fortune, divine favour’. Soylu means ‘of good lineage, noble’, and Uğurlu ‘bringing luck’. Şanlı joins the Turkish suffix to şan ‘fame, glory’, a word of Arabic origin, and means ‘glorious’. In these surnames the category follows the meaning of the word.
The suffix always stands at the end, and the core of the meaning lies in the root. On the site, place-name forms go to the place-based surnames, while descriptive ones go to the group of their meaning. The pattern finds the form; it does not decide the category. That decision is made record by record, against a source.
There are false friends. Ali and Veli are personal names, and their final -li is no suffix. Halil and Celali are names too. Ulu ‘great, exalted’ is a word in its own right, not a stem u- plus a suffix. Doğulu ‘easterner’ is a genuine -lu form, but because it rests on a direction and a region, it is handled individually.
The suffix is frequent in surnames because one pattern can express both a place and a quality. The two uses still need to be read apart. Konyalı looks at a map; Sakallı looks at an adjective.
What does -lı / -li / -lu / -lü do grammatically?
- Meaning
- from (a place); having, with
- Function
- Suffix of possession and belonging. On a place name it means 'from there' (Konyalı); on a noun it means 'having it' (Sakallı, Kutlu). Four forms by vowel harmony.
- Forms
- -lı-li-lu-lü
Which words does -lı / -li / -lu / -lü combine with?
- aba + lı / -li / -lu / -lü coarse woollen cloth; cloak made of it Abalı
- ada + lı / -li / -lu / -lü ada: island Adalı
- ahıska + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Ahıska: town in Georgia (Akhaltsikhe) Ahıskalı
- akbaş + lı / -li / -lu / -lü white Akbaşlı
- akça + lı / -li / -lu / -lü akçe, silver coin; whitish Akçalı
- akıl + lı / -li / -lu / -lü reason, intelligence Akıllı
- akın + lı / -li / -lu / -lü raid Akınlı
- akkoyun + lı / -li / -lu / -lü white Akkoyunlu
- aksakal + lı / -li / -lu / -lü ak: white Aksakallı
- alanya + lı / -li / -lu / -lü district of Antalya Alanyalı
- altay + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Altay: mountain range in Central Asia Altaylı
- amasya + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Amasya province and city Amasyalı
- ankara + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Ankara Ankaralı
- antalya + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Antalya: province and city on the Mediterranean Antalyalı
- asya + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Asia Asyalı
- at + lı / -li / -lu / -lü at: horse Atlı
- ata + lı / -li / -lu / -lü father, ancestor Atalı
- ateş + lı / -li / -lu / -lü fire Ateşli
- ayaş + lı / -li / -lu / -lü district of Ankara Ayaşlı
- aydın + lı / -li / -lu / -lü province in the Aegean region Aydınlı
- bağ + lı / -li / -lu / -lü tie, bond Bağlı
- bahçe + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bahçe: garden Bahçeli
- bahçekapı + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bahçe: garden Bahçekapılı
- bal + lı / -li / -lu / -lü honey Ballı
- batum + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Batum: the port city of Batumi in Georgia Batumlu
- bayat + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Bayat: Oghuz tribe name; district and village name Bayatlı
- bayrak + lı / -li / -lu / -lü flag Bayraklı
- becerik + lı / -li / -lu / -lü skill, knack Becerikli
- ben + lı / -li / -lu / -lü mole, beauty spot Benli
- bıyık + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bıyık: moustache Bıyıklı
- bilgi + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bilgi: knowledge Bilgili
- bora + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bora: violent storm Boralı
- bozat + lı / -li / -lu / -lü boz: grey Bozatlı
- bulgur + lı / -li / -lu / -lü bulgur, cracked wheat Bulgurlu
- cezayir + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Cezayir: Algeria and Algiers Cezayirli
- çakmak + lı / -li / -lu / -lü fire-steel; lighter Çakmaklı
- çal + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Çal: district of Denizli; çal: rocky ground, bare hill Çallı
- çan + lı / -li / -lu / -lü çan: bell; Çan: district of Çanakkale Çanlı
- çay + lı / -li / -lu / -lü çay: stream Çaylıgil
- çayır + lı / -li / -lu / -lü meadow Çayırlı
- çiçek + lı / -li / -lu / -lü çiçek: flower Çiçekli
- çil + lı / -li / -lu / -lü freckle Çilli
- çoban + lı / -li / -lu / -lü shepherd Çobanlı
- çorlu + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Çorlu: district of Tekirdağ Çorlulu
- dağ + lı / -li / -lu / -lü mountain Dağlı
- dal + lı / -li / -lu / -lü dal: branch Dallı
- defter + lı / -li / -lu / -lü notebook; register Defterli
- değer + lı / -li / -lu / -lü value, worth Değerli
- demir + lı / -li / -lu / -lü demir: iron Demirli
- denizli + lı / -li / -lu / -lü Denizli
- dere + lı / -li / -lu / -lü dere: brook, stream Dereli
- deve + lı / -li / -lu / -lü camel Develi
- doğu + lı / -li / -lu / -lü east Doğulu
- duman + lı / -li / -lu / -lü duman: smoke; mist Dumanlı
- duygu + lı / -li / -lu / -lü feeling Duygulu
- ege + lı / -li / -lu / -lü the Aegean Sea and region Egeli
- elma + lı / -li / -lu / -lü apple Elmalı
- elmaağaç + lı / -li / -lu / -lü apple Elmaağaçlı
- emek + lı / -li / -lu / -lü labour, toil Emekli
- erdem + lı / -li / -lu / -lü virtue Erdemli
99 more groups (101 surnames) are in the full list below and on the following pages.
All surnames with -lı
| # | Surname | Meaning | Origin | Letters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Abalı | one who wears a woollen cloak | Arabic | 5 |
| 02 | Adalı | islander | Turkic | 5 |
| 03 | Ahıskalı | from Ahıska | Other | 8 |
| 04 | Akbaşlı | white-headed | Turkic | 7 |
| 05 | Akçalı | moneyed; whitish | Turkic | 6 |
| 06 | Akıllı | intelligent, sensible | Arabic | 6 |
| 07 | Akınlı | raider | Turkic | 6 |
| 08 | Akkoyunlu | of the white sheep; historical name | Turkic | 9 |
| 09 | Aksakallı | white-bearded | Turkic | 9 |
| 10 | Alanyalı | from Alanya | Other | 8 |
| 11 | Altaylı | from the Altai | Turkic | 7 |
| 12 | Amasyalı | from Amasya | Greek | 8 |
| 13 | Ankaralı | from Ankara | Greek | 8 |
| 14 | Antalyalı | from Antalya | Greek | 9 |
| 15 | Asyalı | from Asia | Greek | 6 |
| 16 | Atalı | having forefathers | Turkic | 5 |
| 17 | Ateşli | fiery, passionate | Persian | 6 |
| 18 | Atlı | horseman, rider | Turkic | 4 |
| 19 | Ayaşlı | from Ayaş | Turkic | 6 |
| 20 | Aydınlı | from Aydın | Turkic | 7 |
| 21 | Bağlı | bound, loyal | Turkic | 5 |
| 22 | Bahçekapılı | from Bahçekapı | Turkic | 11 |
| 23 | Bahçeli | with a garden | Persian | 7 |
| 24 | Ballı | honeyed; lucky | Turkic | 5 |
| 25 | Batumlu | from Batum (Batumi) | Other | 7 |
| 26 | Bayatlı | from Bayat | Turkic | 7 |
| 27 | Bayraklı | with a flag | Turkic | 8 |
| 28 | Becerikli | skilful, capable | Turkic | 9 |
| 29 | Benli | having a mole | Turkic | 5 |
| 30 | Bıyıklı | moustached | Turkic | 7 |
| 31 | Bilgili | knowledgeable, learned | Turkic | 7 |
| 32 | Boralı | stormy | 6 | |
| 33 | Bozatlı | rider of a grey horse | Turkic | 7 |
| 34 | Bulgurlu | of bulgur; from Bulgurlu | Persian | 8 |
| 35 | Cezayirli | from Algiers / Algeria | Arabic | 9 |
| 36 | Çakmaklı | flintlock gun | Turkic | 8 |
| 37 | Çallı | from Çal | Turkic | 5 |
| 38 | Çanlı | from Çan; with a bell | Turkic | 5 |
| 39 | Çayırlı | with meadows | Turkic | 7 |
| 40 | Çaylıgil | the Çaylı family; by the stream | Turkic | 8 |
| 41 | Çiçekli | flowery | Turkic | 7 |
| 42 | Çilli | freckled, speckled | Turkic | 5 |
| 43 | Çobanlı | of the shepherds; from Çobanlı | Persian | 7 |
| 44 | Çorlulu | from Çorlu | Greek | 7 |
| 45 | Dağlı | mountain-dweller, highlander | Turkic | 5 |
| 46 | Dallı | branched | Turkic | 5 |
| 47 | Defterli | having a register | Arabic | 8 |
| 48 | Değerli | valuable | Turkic | 7 |
| 49 | Demirli | with iron; anchored | Turkic | 7 |
| 50 | Denizli | the city of Denizli | Turkic | 7 |
| 51 | Dereli | by the stream; from Dereli | Persian | 6 |
| 52 | Develi | from Develi | Turkic | 6 |
| 53 | Doğulu | from the east | Turkic | 6 |
| 54 | Dumanlı | misty, smoky | Turkic | 7 |
| 55 | Duygulu | sensitive, full of feeling | Turkic | 7 |
| 56 | Egeli | from the Aegean | Greek | 5 |
| 57 | Elmaağaçlı | with apple trees | Turkic | 10 |
| 58 | Elmalı | from Elmalı, ‘place of apples’ | Turkic | 6 |
| 59 | Emekli | laborious; retired | Turkic | 6 |
| 60 | Erdemli | virtuous | Turkic | 7 |
| 61 | Erenli | of the erens (saints) | Turkic | 6 |
| 62 | Erkanlı | well-mannered; of Erkan | Arabic | 7 |
| 63 | Erkekli | having a man | Turkic | 7 |
| 64 | Esendağlı | from Esendağ | Turkic | 9 |
| 65 | Fındıklı | place of hazelnuts; a district of Rize | Arabic | 8 |
| 66 | Gedikli | privilege holder; NCO | Turkic | 7 |
| 67 | Göllü | with a lake; a form of Güllü | Turkic | 5 |
| 68 | Görgülü | well-mannered, cultivated | Turkic | 7 |
| 69 | Güçlü | strong, powerful | Turkic | 5 |
| 70 | Güllü | with roses | Persian | 5 |
| 71 | Hayırlı | auspicious, beneficial | Arabic | 7 |
| 72 | Ilıcalı | from Ilıca, from the hot spring | Turkic | 7 |
| 73 | İçli | sensitive, tender-hearted | Turkic | 4 |
| 74 | İslimyeli | from İslimye (Sliven) | Other | 9 |
| 75 | İzmirli | from Izmir | Greek | 7 |
| 76 | Kabaklı | with gourds | Turkic | 7 |
| 77 | Kaleli | from the fortress | Arabic | 6 |
| 78 | Kalemli | one who holds the pen | Arabic | 7 |
| 79 | Kanatlı | winged | Turkic | 7 |
| 80 | Karadağlı | from Karadağ | Turkic | 9 |
| 81 | Karakaşlı | black-browed | Turkic | 9 |
Common questions
- Does Konyalı tell us where a family came from?
The surname only carries a place name. The history of a particular family can be traced only through that family’s own records.
- Are Kutlu and Konyalı the same type of surname?
The suffix is the same; the function differs. Kutlu names a quality, ‘blessed’, while Konyalı names a place.
- Why are Ali and Veli not counted under this suffix?
Both are personal names of Arabic origin taken as a whole. There is no stem a- or ve- to split off.
Sources
- 1Türk Dil Kurumu, TDK Güncel Türkçe Sözlük
- 2Sevan Nişanyan, Nişanyan Sözlük