Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 435

Ankara

Ankara /ˈaŋkaɾa/

“the capital of Türkiye”1

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

How do you pronounce Ankara?

Ankara

IPA /ˈaŋkaɾa/

The stress usually falls on syllable 1 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Ankara mean?

The name of Türkiye’s capital. In antiquity the city was called Ankyra in Greek, a form identical with ánkyra “anchor”; the modern name came down through Ottoman Turkish Engürü/Ankara.1

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

What is Ankara made of?

Ankara is a single Greek root: Ankara (Ankara: capital of Türkiye).

Ankara root Ankara Ankara: capital ofTürkiye GREEK Ankyra “ancient Greek name ofthe city; same as…” Ankara Ankara root Ankara: capital of Türkiye Ankyra GREEK “ancient Greek name of the city;same as ánkyra ‘anchor’”
Ankara: parts and root words
  • Ankyra Greek — ancient Greek name of the city; same as ánkyra “anchor”1

How was the name Ankara formed?

Ankara comes from a place name: Ankara (“Ankara: capital of Türkiye”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Ankara?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Ankaralı same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Ankara?

  1. Duygu Ankara actor 1950–1996

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

How is Ankara written and pronounced abroad?

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Ankara accessed 9 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

Common questions about Ankara

Q1

What does the surname Ankara mean?

The name of Türkiye’s capital. In antiquity the city was called Ankyra in Greek, a form identical with ánkyra “anchor”; the modern name came down through Ottoman Turkish Engürü/Ankara.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Ankara?

The root word of Ankara is Ankyra (Greek): ‘ancient Greek name of the city; same as ánkyra “anchor”’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Ankara?

An·ka·ra, 3 syllables; IPA: /ˈaŋkaɾa/.