Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 327

Alova

Alova /aɫoˈva/

“red plain”1

Probable origin Alova: root entries for al + ova · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 3
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
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Initial
A
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How do you pronounce Alova?

Alova

IPA /aɫoˈva/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Alova mean?

Formed from al “red” and ova “plain”, the name looks like a place name meaning “red plain”. According to Nişanyan the origin of ova is uncertain.1,2

Grammar Compound al + ova.

That Alova goes back to al and ova is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Alova made of?

Alova is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: al (al: red, crimson) + ova (ova: plain).

Alova + root al al: red, crimson TURKIC al “red” root ova ova: plain TURKIC ova “plain, lowland” Alova al root al: red, crimson al TURKIC “red” ova root ova: plain ova TURKIC “plain, lowland”
Alova: parts and root words

How was the name Alova formed?

Alova was formed by joining al (“al: red, crimson”) and ova (“ova: plain”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Which surnames are related to Alova?

Alova Ovalı Akova Çukurova Altınova Şenova Özovalı
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Ovalı same root – –
02 Akova same root – –
03 Çukurova same root – –
04 Altınova same root – –
05 Şenova same root – –
06 Özovalı same root – –
07 Taşova same root – –
08 Kumova same root – –
09 Yeşilova same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Alova?

  1. Erdal Alova writer 1952–

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

How is Alova written and pronounced abroad?

The name has no Turkish-specific letters and is written Alova abroad as well.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Alova?

Akova, Kumova and Ovalı share gloss keywords with Alova within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Alova?

Read the root, formation and register information for Alova 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: al
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: ova
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Alova

Q1

What does the surname Alova mean?

Formed from al “red” and ova “plain”, the name looks like a place name meaning “red plain”. According to Nişanyan the origin of ova is uncertain.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Alova?

Alova is made up of two elements: al “red” (Turkic) and ova “plain, lowland” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Alova?

A·lo·va, 3 syllables; IPA: /aɫoˈva/.