Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 865

Başterzi

Başterzi /baʃteɾˈzi/ ASCII Basterzi

“head tailor, master tailor”2

Letters / syllables
8 / 3
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
B
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Abroad
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Başterzi?

Başterzi

IPA /baʃteɾˈzi/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Başterzi mean?

The name joins baş ‘head, chief’ and terzi ‘tailor’, giving ‘head tailor, master tailor’, on the model of Turkish titles such as başkâtip ‘chief clerk’ and başhekim ‘chief physician’. Terzi comes from Persian darzī; baş is Turkish.1,2

Grammar baş + terzi; baş- adds the sense ‘chief’.

That Başterzi goes back to baş and terzi is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Başterzi made of?

Başterzi combines Turkic and Persian elements in 2 parts: baş (head; chief) + terzi (tailor).

Başterzi + root baş head; chief TURKIC baş “head; chief, leading” root terzi tailor PERSIAN terzi “tailor” Başterzi baş root head; chief baş TURKIC “head; chief, leading” terzi root tailor terzi PERSIAN “tailor”
Başterzi: parts and root words
  • baş Turkic — head; chief, leading2
  • terzi Persian — tailor1

How was the name Başterzi formed?

Başterzi was formed by joining baş (“head; chief”) and terzi (“tailor”).

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

Which surnames are related to Başterzi?

Başterzi Akbaş Baş Subaşı Terzi Terzioğlu Başer Kocabaş Erbaş Baştürk Demirbaş Başkan Başoğlu
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 Terzi same root – –
05 Terzioğlu same root – –
06 Başer same root – –
07 Kocabaş same root – –
08 Erbaş same root – –
09 Baştürk same root – –
10 Demirbaş same root – –
11 Başkan same root – –
12 Başoğlu same root – –

How is Başterzi written and pronounced abroad?

Without Turkish letters the name is usually written Basterzi in English-language records.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: terzi accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: baş accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: terzi accessed 9 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 Başterzi

Q1

What does the surname Başterzi mean?

The name joins baş ‘head, chief’ and terzi ‘tailor’, giving ‘head tailor, master tailor’, on the model of Turkish titles such as başkâtip ‘chief clerk’ and başhekim ‘chief physician’. Terzi comes from Persian darzī; baş is Turkish.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Başterzi?

Başterzi is made up of two elements: baş “head; chief, leading” (Turkic) and terzi “tailor” (Persian).
Q3

How do you pronounce Başterzi?

Baş·ter·zi, 3 syllables; IPA: /baʃteɾˈzi/.