SURNAMEEntry 112
Akdeniz
“the Mediterranean”2
- CategoryNames of mountains, rivers and places
- OriginTurkic
- FormPlace name
- Letters / syllables
- 7 / 3
- Formation
- Place name
- Vowel harmony
- mixed
Contents§1–§11
How do you pronounce Akdeniz?
The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Akdeniz mean?
Akdeniz is what Turkish calls the Mediterranean, the sea between Europe, Asia and Africa. It is formed from ak, “white”, and deniz, “sea”; Wiktionary notes that ak here carries the sense “west” from the old Turkic colour-direction system. Just as kara marks the north in Karadeniz, Akdeniz is understood as “the western sea”. The surname comes from the name of this sea or its coastal region.2
Grammar A place name; structurally ak + deniz.
What is Akdeniz made of?
Akdeniz breaks into 2 parts: ak (white; west in the old colour-direction system) + deniz (sea).
- Akdeniz Turkic — the Mediterranean Sea2
How was the name Akdeniz formed?
Akdeniz belongs to the “place name” class of surnames (ak + deniz).
Which surnames are related to Akdeniz?
| # | Surname | Relation | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Deniz | same root | – | – |
| 02 | Karadeniz | same root | – | – |
| 03 | Denizli | same root | – | – |
| 04 | Erdeniz | same root | – | – |
| 05 | Aydeniz | same root | – | – |
| 06 | Denizci | same root | – | – |
| 07 | Eldeniz | same root | – | – |
| 08 | Denizer | same root | – | – |
| 09 | Denizeri | same root | – | – |
| 10 | Engindeniz | same root | – | – |
Where in Türkiye is Akdeniz most common?
Akdeniz is outside the national top 30, but it appears in the top-30 list of 1 province; its best rank is 29th in Bayburt.1
- In the province top 30 1
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bayburt | 29 | 344 |
Who are some well-known people named Akdeniz?
- Deniz Akdeniz actor 1990–
- Muhammet Akdeniz amateur wrestler 1995–
- Batu Akdeniz singer 1993–
- Ferhat Akdeniz volleyball player 1986–
- Ali Akdeniz association football player 1975–
- Ercüment Akdeniz politician 1972–
- Berrin Akdeniz actor 1969–
- Ersin Akdeniz association football player 1987–
People surnamed Akdeniz as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Akdeniz also a first name?
Yes. Akdeniz is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the Mediterranean”.
Akdeniz as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
Where do these facts come from?
- 1 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Akdeniz
- 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759)
- 6 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Akdeniz
- Q1
What does the surname Akdeniz mean?
- Akdeniz is what Turkish calls the Mediterranean, the sea between Europe, Asia and Africa. It is formed from ak, “white”, and deniz, “sea”; Wiktionary notes that ak here carries the sense “west” from the old Turkic colour-direction system. Just as kara marks the north in Karadeniz, Akdeniz is understood as “the western sea”. The surname comes from the name of this sea or its coastal region.
- Q2
What is the origin of the surname Akdeniz?
- The root word of Akdeniz is Akdeniz (Turkic): “the Mediterranean Sea”.
- Q3
How do you pronounce Akdeniz?
- Ak·de·niz, 3 syllables; IPA: /akdeˈniz/.