SURNAMEEntry 326
Aras
“the Aras river”2
- CategoryNames of mountains, rivers and places
- OriginOther
- FormPlace name
- Letters / syllables
- 4 / 2
- Formation
- Place name
- Vowel harmony
- back
- Initial
- A
Contents§1–§10
How do you pronounce Aras?
The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Aras mean?
Aras is the river that rises in the mountains of Erzurum, forms part of the borders between Turkey, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan, joins the Kura and reaches the Caspian Sea. Ancient Greek sources call it the Araxes; the origin of the name is not certain. The surname comes from the name of this river.2
That Aras goes back to Aras is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.
What is Aras made of?
Aras is a single root: Aras (the Aras (Araxes) river).
- Aras Other — river rising in eastern Anatolia and flowing to the Caspian; Greek Araxes2
How was the name Aras formed?
Aras belongs to the “place name” class of surnames.
After the Surname Law, Atatürk gave the surname “Aras” to Foreign Minister Tevfik Rüştü Bey. According to an academic study, the name was chosen with reference to the 1932 Turkish-Iranian border agreement, which fixed the frontier as starting at a boundary stone near the confluence of the Aras and the Karasu. Tevfik Rüştü Aras was foreign minister from 1925 to 1938.3
Where in Türkiye is Aras most common?
Aras tops the list only in Iğdır, but is in the top three in 1 province.1
- Most common surname (#1) 1
- In the province top 30 2
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Iğdır | 1 | 2,795 |
| 02 | Erzurum | 28 | 2,428 |
| 03 | Kars | 10 | 2,116 |
Provinces where it is #1 1
- Iğdır
Who are some well-known people named Aras?
- Tevfik Rüştü Aras politician 1883–1972
- Ahmet Aras association football player 1987–
- Muhterem Aras politician 1966–
- Yıldız Aras karateka 1977–
- Ömer Aras banker 1954–
- Bulut Aras actor 1953–
- Murat Aras screenwriter 1973–
- Hazal Aras politician 1975–
People surnamed Aras as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Aras also a first name?
Yes. Aras is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the Aras river”.
Aras 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 Wikipedia: Aras (river)
- 3 dergipark.org.tr dergipark.org.tr: 1615345
- 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759)
- 7 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 8 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Aras
- Q1
What does the surname Aras mean?
- Aras is the river that rises in the mountains of Erzurum, forms part of the borders between Turkey, Iran, Armenia and Azerbaijan, joins the Kura and reaches the Caspian Sea. Ancient Greek sources call it the Araxes; the origin of the name is not certain. The surname comes from the name of this river.
- Q2
In which provinces is Aras the most common surname?
- In the TÜİK ADNKS 2025 province lists it ranks first in Iğdır.
- Q3
What is the origin of the surname Aras?
- The root word of Aras is Aras (another language): “river rising in eastern Anatolia and flowing to the Caspian; Greek Araxes”.
- Q4
How do you pronounce Aras?
- A·ras, 2 syllables; IPA: /aˈɾas/.