Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 92

Akar

Akar /aˈkaɾ/

“flowing”3

Probable origin Akar: root entries for akmak + akar · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
From a verb
Vowel harmony
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Initial
A
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How do you pronounce Akar?

Akar

IPA /aˈkaɾ/

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

What does the surname Akar mean?

The aorist form of akmak “to flow”: Akar is “flowing, running on without pause”, lively like running water. It has nothing to do with the prefix Ak- “white”. The same form also coincides with akar, a word of Arabic origin for rent-yielding property.1,3

Grammar Aorist participle of akmak (ak- + -ar), as in akarsu “running water”.

That Akar goes back to akmak and akar is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

Akar is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Akar made of?

Akar combines Turkic and Arabic elements in 2 parts: ak- (akmak: to flow) + -ar (aorist participle).

Akar ++ root ak- akmak: to flow TURKIC akmak “to flow; to go on” suffix -ar aorist participle ARABIC akar “property such as ahouse, shop or field…” Akar ak- root akmak: to flow akmak TURKIC “to flow; to go on” -ar suffix aorist participle akar ARABIC “property such as a house, shopor field that yields rent”
Akar: parts and root words
  • akmak Turkic — to flow; to go on3
  • akar Arabic — property such as a house, shop or field that yields rent1

How was the name Akar formed?

Akar was formed by adding the suffix -ar (“aorist participle”) to the verb stem ak- (“akmak: to flow”).

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

Which surnames are related to Akar?

Akar Akın Akan Akarsu Akmaz Akıcı Akarcalı
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Akın same root – –
02 Akan same root – –
03 Akarsu same root – –
04 Akmaz same root – –
05 Akıcı same root – –
06 Akarcalı same root – –
07 Akardere same root – –
08 Akarnur same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Akar?

  1. Hulûsi Akar politician 1952–
  2. Furkan Akar short-track speed skater 2002–
  3. Nasuh Akar amateur wrestler 1925–1984
  4. Rıdvan Akar writer 1961–
  5. Serdar Akar screenwriter 1964–
  6. Zeki Akar judge 1944–
  7. Haydar Akar politician 1963–
  8. Meltem Akar boxer 1982–

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Akar?

Akan, Akarsu and Akardere share gloss keywords with Akar within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Akar?

Read the root, formation and register information for Akar alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: akar
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: akar
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: akmak
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Akar

Q1

What does the surname Akar mean?

The aorist form of akmak “to flow”: Akar is “flowing, running on without pause”, lively like running water. It has nothing to do with the prefix Ak- “white”. The same form also coincides with akar, a word of Arabic origin for rent-yielding property.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Akar?

The root word of Akar is akmak (Turkic): “to flow; to go on”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Akar?

A·kar, 2 syllables; IPA: /aˈkaɾ/.