Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1

Aba

Aba /aˈba/

“coarse woollen cloak”1

Letters / syllables
3 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
A
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Abroad
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce Aba?

Aba

IPA /aˈba/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Aba mean?

Aba is a coarse woollen cloth, usually camel-coloured, and the long collarless cloak made from it; the mantle worn by dervishes is also called aba. Nişanyan traces the word to Arabic ʿabāʾ “felt cloak”. In some dialects the same form means “elder sister, mother”, and it is also used as a female given name.1

That Aba goes back to aba is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.

Aba is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Aba made of?

Aba combines Arabic and Turkic elements in 1 parts: aba (aba: coarse woollen cloth or cloak; in dialects “elder sister, mother”).

Aba + root aba aba: coarse woollen clothor cloak; in dialects… ARABIC aba “coarse woollen cloth;cloak made of it” TURKIC aba “elder sister, mother(dialect)” Aba aba root aba: coarse woollen cloth or cloak; indialects “elder sister, mother” aba ARABIC “coarse woollen cloth; cloak madeof it” aba TURKIC “elder sister, mother (dialect)”
Aba: parts and root words
  • aba Arabic — coarse woollen cloth; cloak made of it1
  • aba Turkic — elder sister, mother (dialect)1

How was the name Aba formed?

Aba is the word aba (“aba: coarse woollen cloth or cloak; in dialects “elder sister, mother””), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Which surnames are related to Aba?

Aba Abacı Abalı Abacıoğlu Abasıyanık Abalıoğlu Abaoğlu
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Abacı same root – –
02 Abalı same root – –
03 Abacıoğlu same root – –
04 Abasıyanık same root – –
05 Abalıoğlu same root – –
06 Abaoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Aba?

  1. Yılda Arzu Aba university teacher

People surnamed Aba as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.

Is Aba also a first name?

Yes. Aba is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “coarse woollen cloak”.

Aba as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

How is Aba written and pronounced abroad?

The name contains no Turkish-specific letters and is written Aba in foreign records too.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: aba accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: aba accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: aba accessed 9 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Aba

Q1

What does the surname Aba mean?

Aba is a coarse woollen cloth, usually camel-coloured, and the long collarless cloak made from it; the mantle worn by dervishes is also called aba. Nişanyan traces the word to Arabic ʿabāʾ “felt cloak”. In some dialects the same form means “elder sister, mother”, and it is also used as a female given name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Aba?

The root word of Aba is aba (Arabic): “coarse woollen cloth; cloak made of it”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Aba?

A·ba, 2 syllables; IPA: /aˈba/.