Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 856

Başkent

Başkent /baʃˈcent/ ASCII Baskent

“capital city”1

Established origin Başkent: root entries for baş + kent · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
7 / 2
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
B
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How do you pronounce Başkent?

Başkent

IPA /baʃˈcent/

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

What does the surname Başkent mean?

A Language Reform coinage from baş “head” and kent “town”: başkent, the capital city of a country. Kent entered Old Turkic from Sogdian.1

Grammar Compound baş + kent.

Başkent is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Başkent made of?

Başkent is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: baş (baş: head; chief) + kent (kent: town, city).

Başkent + root baş baş: head; chief TURKIC baş “head; leader” root kent kent: town, city OTHER kent “town; from Sogdian knδ” Başkent baş root baş: head; chief baş TURKIC “head; leader” kent root kent: town, city kent OTHER “town; from Sogdian knδ”
Başkent: parts and root words
  • baş Turkic — head; leader1
  • kent Other — town; from Sogdian knδ1

How was the name Başkent formed?

Başkent was formed by joining baş (“baş: head; chief”) and kent (“kent: town, city”).

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

Which surnames are related to Başkent?

Başkent Akbaş Baş Subaşı Başer Kocabaş Erbaş
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Akbaş same root – –
02 Baş same root – –
03 Subaşı same root – –
04 Başer same root – –
05 Kocabaş same root – –
06 Erbaş same root – –
07 Baştürk same root – –
08 Demirbaş same root – –
09 Başkan same root – –
10 Başoğlu same root – –
11 Yüzbaşıoğlu same root – –
12 Odabaş same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Başkent?

  1. Deniz Başkent university teacher 1973–

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

How is Başkent written and pronounced abroad?

In English-language records the name usually appears as Baskent.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Başkent?

Kent, Baştürk and İlgezdi share gloss keywords with Başkent within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Başkent?

Read the root, formation and register information for Başkent alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kent accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: başkent accessed 9 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

Common questions about Başkent

Q1

What does the surname Başkent mean?

A Language Reform coinage from baş “head” and kent “town”: başkent, the capital city of a country. Kent entered Old Turkic from Sogdian.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Başkent?

Başkent is made up of two elements: baş “head; leader” (Turkic) and kent “town; from Sogdian knδ” (another language).
Q3

How do you pronounce Başkent?

Baş·kent, 2 syllables; IPA: /baʃˈcent/.