Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 612

Atilla

Atilla /aˈtilɫa/

“name of the Hun ruler”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 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 Atilla?

Atilla

IPA /aˈtilɫa/

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

What does the surname Atilla mean?

Atilla is the name of the fifth-century Hun ruler Attila. It has been recorded as a personal name in Turkey since 1909 and became a common male given name in the twentieth century; the surname comes from that name. The origin of the name itself is debated.1

Grammar Proper name; Roman and Byzantine sources use both spellings, Atilla and Attila.

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. A long-held view takes the name as a Gothic nickname meaning ‘little father’; Nişanyan Adlar notes that this explanation has now been abandoned.
  2. O. Pritsak (1956) derived the name from Etil/İtil, the Turkic name of the Volga.

What is Atilla made of?

Atilla is a single root: Atilla (name of the Hun ruler).

Atilla root Atilla name of the Hun ruler UNKNOWN Atilla “name of the Hun rulerAttila; male given name” Atilla Atilla root name of the Hun ruler Atilla UNKNOWN “name of the Hun ruler Attila;male given name”
Atilla: parts and root words
  • Atilla unknown — name of the Hun ruler Attila; male given name1

How was the name Atilla formed?

Atilla is the word Atilla (“name of the Hun ruler”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Atilla?

  1. Can Atilla composer 1969–
  2. Mehmet Atilla author 1959–
  3. Onur Atilla actor 1986–
  4. Toygun Atilla businessperson
  5. Ali Hikmet Atilla writer 1952–
  6. Ansen Atilla artist 1978–
  7. Bülent Atilla researcher
  8. Cengiz Atilla basketball player

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

Is Atilla also a first name?

Yes. Atilla is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “name of the Hun ruler”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Atilla accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Atilla accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Atilla

Q1

What does the surname Atilla mean?

Atilla is the name of the fifth-century Hun ruler Attila. It has been recorded as a personal name in Turkey since 1909 and became a common male given name in the twentieth century; the surname comes from that name. The origin of the name itself is debated.
Q2

How do you pronounce Atilla?

A·til·la, 3 syllables; IPA: /aˈtilɫa/.