Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 565

Baksı

Baksı /bakˈsɯ/ ASCII Baksi

“teacher, bard, shaman”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
B
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Abroad
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce Baksı?

Baksı

IPA /bakˈsɯ/

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

What does the surname Baksı mean?

Baksı is understood as a form of bakşı or bahşı. According to Nişanyan, Old Turkic bahşı/bakşı meant ‘teacher; scribe’ and may be borrowed from Chinese bóshì ‘scholar’, though this is not certain. Turkish Wiktionary gives bakşı as ‘shaman’; in Central Asia the word denotes bards and shamans.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Borrowed from Chinese bóshì ‘scholar’ (Nişanyan, possible).
  2. An Old Turkic word of unsettled origin; Nişanyan does not consider the Chinese link certain.

What is Baksı made of?

Baksı is a single root: baksı (bakşı: teacher, scribe; shaman).

Baksı root baksı bakşı: teacher, scribe;shaman OTHER bahşı / bakşı “teacher; scribe” Baksı baksı root bakşı: teacher, scribe; shaman bahşı / bakşı OTHER “teacher; scribe”
Baksı: parts and root words
  • bahşı / bakşı Other — teacher; scribe1

How was the name Baksı formed?

Baksı belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Baksı?

  1. Kurdo Baksi writer 1965–

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

Is Baksı also a first name?

Yes. Baksı is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “teacher, bard, shaman”.

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

How is Baksı written and pronounced abroad?

In records outside Turkey the name usually appears as Baksi: ı/İ become i/I.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: bahşı accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: bakşı 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 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Baksı

Q1

What does the surname Baksı mean?

Baksı is understood as a form of bakşı or bahşı. According to Nişanyan, Old Turkic bahşı/bakşı meant ‘teacher; scribe’ and may be borrowed from Chinese bóshì ‘scholar’, though this is not certain. Turkish Wiktionary gives bakşı as ‘shaman’; in Central Asia the word denotes bards and shamans.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Baksı?

The root word of Baksı is bahşı / bakşı (another language): “teacher; scribe”. There are 3 competing views on where Baksı comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Baksı?

Bak·sı, 2 syllables; IPA: /bakˈsɯ/.