Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 795

Bali

Bali /baˈli/

“son, child”2

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
B
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 Bali?

Bali

IPA /baˈli/

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

What does the surname Bali mean?

Nişanyan Adlar links the name Bali/Balı, which became popular in the 16th century, with Bala, and states that the name of Resul Balı, a caliph of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, undoubtedly means “son”. Bala goes back to Proto-Turkic *bāla “child”. The source considers a link with Arabic bâli “swallowing” unlikely.2

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

What is Bali made of?

Bali is a single Turkic root: bali (form of Bala: son, child).

Bali root bali form of Bala: son, child TURKIC bala “child, baby” Bali bali root form of Bala: son, child bala TURKIC “child, baby”
Bali: parts and root words
  • bala Turkic — child, baby2

How was the name Bali formed?

Bali is the word bali (“form of Bala: son, child”), 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 Bali?

  1. Serdar Bali association football player 1956–
  2. Levent Balı basketball player

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

Is Bali also a first name?

Yes. Bali is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “son, child”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Balı accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: bala 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 Bali

Q1

What does the surname Bali mean?

Nişanyan Adlar links the name Bali/Balı, which became popular in the 16th century, with Bala, and states that the name of Resul Balı, a caliph of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, undoubtedly means “son”. Bala goes back to Proto-Turkic *bāla “child”. The source considers a link with Arabic bâli “swallowing” unlikely.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Bali?

The root word of Bali is bala (Turkic): “child, baby”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Bali?

Ba·li, 2 syllables; IPA: /baˈli/.