Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 529

Asena

Asena /aseˈna/

“the Göktürk clan Ashina; the legendary she-wolf”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 3
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
A
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Asena?

Asena

IPA /aseˈna/

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

What does the surname Asena mean?

Asena is a name connected with the origin legend of the Göktürks. Recorded in Chinese sources as Ashina (阿史那), it is, according to the legend, the name of one of the ten sons born to a she-wolf and of the Göktürk ruling clan descended from him. Today Asena is mostly understood as the name of the she-wolf herself and is used as a girl’s name. The origin of the name Ashina is debated: some scholars derive it from a Saka or Tocharian word for “blue”, others from a Turkic root.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Findley and Klyashtorny: the name comes from a Saka or Tocharian word meaning “blue”.
  2. Boodberg and Shiratori: the name rests on a Turkic root.

What is Asena made of?

Asena is a single Turkic root: Asena (name of the Göktürk ruling clan Ashina).

Asena root Asena name of the Göktürkruling clan Ashina TURKIC Asena “Ashina in Chinesesources: one of the…” Asena Asena root name of the Göktürk ruling clan Ashina Asena TURKIC “Ashina in Chinese sources: oneof the she-wolf’s ten sons and…”
Asena: parts and root words
  • Asena Turkic — Ashina in Chinese sources: one of the she-wolf’s ten sons and the Göktürk dynasty1

How was the name Asena formed?

Asena is the word Asena (“name of the Göktürk ruling clan Ashina”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.7

Who are some well-known people named Asena?

  1. Duygu Asena actor 1946–2006
  2. İnci Asena poet 1948–
  3. Orhan Asena writer 1922–2001
  4. Ahmet Asena association football player 1945–
  5. Vacit Asena politician 1894–1973
  6. Nurbanu Asena director 1988–
  7. Sencer Asena diplomat 1929–

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

Is Asena also a first name?

Yes. Asena is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the Göktürk clan Ashina; the legendary she-wolf”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: asena accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Asena accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Asena accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Ashina tribe accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Asena accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  8. 8 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Asena

Q1

What does the surname Asena mean?

Asena is a name connected with the origin legend of the Göktürks. Recorded in Chinese sources as Ashina (阿史那), it is, according to the legend, the name of one of the ten sons born to a she-wolf and of the Göktürk ruling clan descended from him. Today Asena is mostly understood as the name of the she-wolf herself and is used as a girl’s name. The origin of the name Ashina is debated: some scholars derive it from a Saka or Tocharian word for “blue”, others from a Turkic root.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Asena?

The root word of Asena is Asena (Turkic): “Ashina in Chinese sources: one of the she-wolf’s ten sons and the Göktürk dynasty”. There are 3 competing views on where Asena comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Asena?

A·se·na, 3 syllables; IPA: /aseˈna/.