Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 797

Balkar

Balkar /baɫˈkaɾ/

“the ethnonym Balkar”4

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
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 Balkar?

Balkar

IPA /baɫˈkaɾ/

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

What does the surname Balkar mean?

Balkar is an ethnonym: the name of the Balkars of the North Caucasus as it became established through Russian; the form in their own language is malqarlıla. The origin of the name is disputed. Of the two main explanations, one derives it from the name of the Malkar (Cherek) valley, the other from the name Bulgar, through the b/m alternation found in Karachay-Balkar. Nişanyan Adlar notes that it is probably unrelated to the old Turkish name Balkır ‘lightning’. Balkar is also the name of a town in Gölbaşı, Adıyaman.4

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. From the name of the Malkar (Cherek) valley (Russian Wikipedia, ‘Balkars’).
  2. From the name Bulgar, with b/m alternation (Russian Wikipedia, ‘Balkars’).

What is Balkar made of?

Balkar is a single root: Balkar (Balkar: ethnonym of the Balkars of the North Caucasus).

Balkar root Balkar Balkar: ethnonym of theBalkars of the North… UNKNOWN Balkar “ethnonym, name of theBalkars” Balkar Balkar root Balkar: ethnonym of the Balkars of theNorth Caucasus Balkar UNKNOWN “ethnonym, name of the Balkars”
Balkar: parts and root words
  • Balkar unknown — ethnonym, name of the Balkars4

How was the name Balkar formed?

Balkar is the word Balkar (“Balkar: ethnonym of the Balkars of the North Caucasus”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.6

Who are some well-known people named Balkar?

  1. Galip Balkar diplomat 1936–1983

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

Is Balkar also a first name?

Yes. Balkar is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the ethnonym Balkar”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Balkır accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 ru.wikipedia.org ru.wikipedia.org: Балкарцы accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Balkars accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Balkar accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Balkar

Q1

What does the surname Balkar mean?

Balkar is an ethnonym: the name of the Balkars of the North Caucasus as it became established through Russian; the form in their own language is malqarlıla. The origin of the name is disputed. Of the two main explanations, one derives it from the name of the Malkar (Cherek) valley, the other from the name Bulgar, through the b/m alternation found in Karachay-Balkar. Nişanyan Adlar notes that it is probably unrelated to the old Turkish name Balkır ‘lightning’. Balkar is also the name of a town in Gölbaşı, Adıyaman.
Q2

How do you pronounce Balkar?

Bal·kar, 2 syllables; IPA: /baɫˈkaɾ/.