Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 220

Algan

Algan /aɫˈɡan/

“one who takes, conqueror”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
From a verb
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 Algan?

Algan

IPA /aɫˈɡan/

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

What does the surname Algan mean?

Algan is a name formed from the verb almak “to take” with the Old Turkic participle suffix -gan and is explained as “one who takes, who conquers”. It is not a separate dictionary headword.1

Grammar al- + Old Turkic participle -gan

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

What is Algan made of?

Algan breaks into 2 parts: al- (almak: to take, to conquer) + -gan (Old Turkic participle suffix).

Algan + root al- almak: to take, toconquer TURKIC almak “to take, to seize” suffix -gan Old Turkic participlesuffix Algan al- root almak: to take, to conquer almak TURKIC “to take, to seize” -gan suffix Old Turkic participle suffix
Algan: parts and root words
  • almak Turkic — to take, to seize1

How was the name Algan formed?

Algan belongs to the “from a verb” class of surnames (al- + -gan).

Which surnames are related to Algan?

Algan Ünal Vural Önal Öcal Öcalan Şanal Önalan Yenel Ünaldı Ünalmış
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Ünal same root – –
02 Vural same root – –
03 Önal same root – –
04 Öcal same root – –
05 Öcalan same root – –
06 Şanal same root – –
07 Önalan same root – –
08 Yenel same root – –
09 Ünaldı same root – –
10 Ünalmış same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Algan?

  1. Ayla Algan actor 1936–2024
  2. Zeynep Sibel Algan diplomat 1955–
  3. Beklan Algan actor 1933–2010
  4. Emine Algan journalist 1969–
  5. Mehmet Algan statesperson 1986–
  6. Nurettin Münşi Algan scientist 1878–1940
  7. Refik Algan author 1952–
  8. Tevfik Algan soldier 1963–

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

Is Algan also a first name?

Yes. Algan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “one who takes, conqueror”.

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

How is Algan written and pronounced abroad?

Algan has no Turkish-specific letters and is written the same way abroad; the g is hard, as in English “go”.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: almak accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Algan

Q1

What does the surname Algan mean?

Algan is a name formed from the verb almak “to take” with the Old Turkic participle suffix -gan and is explained as “one who takes, who conquers”. It is not a separate dictionary headword.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Algan?

The root word of Algan is almak (Turkic): “to take, to seize”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Algan?

Al·gan, 2 syllables; IPA: /aɫˈɡan/.