Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 870

Baştopçu

Baştopçu /baʃtopˈtʃu/ ASCII Bastopcu

“chief gunner”1

Probable origin Baştopçu: root entries for baş + topçu · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
8 / 3
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
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Initial
B
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How do you pronounce Baştopçu?

Baştopçu

IPA /baʃtopˈtʃu/

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

What does the surname Baştopçu mean?

Made of baş “chief, head” and topçu “artilleryman”: “chief gunner, head of the gunners”. It is built like titles such as başçavuş “chief sergeant” and başkâtip “chief clerk”. Topçu is top “cannon” plus the suffix -çu.1,2

Grammar baş + top + -çu

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

What is Baştopçu made of?

Baştopçu is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: baş (baş: chief, head) + topçu (topçu: artilleryman).

Baştopçu + first element baş baş: chief, head TURKIC baş “head; chief” root topçu topçu: artilleryman TURKIC topçu “artilleryman, gunner” Baştopçu baş first element baş: chief, head baş TURKIC “head; chief” topçu root topçu: artilleryman topçu TURKIC “artilleryman, gunner”
Baştopçu: parts and root words

How was the name Baştopçu formed?

Baştopçu was formed by joining baş (“baş: chief, head”) and topçu (“topçu: artilleryman”).

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

Which surnames are related to Baştopçu?

Baştopçu Akbaş Baş Topçu Subaşı Başer Kocabaş
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 Topçu same root – –
04 Subaşı same root – –
05 Başer same root – –
06 Kocabaş same root – –
07 Topçuoğlu same root – –
08 Erbaş same root – –
09 Baştürk same root – –
10 Demirbaş same root – –
11 Başkan same root – –
12 Başoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Baştopçu?

  1. Kamil Baştopçu politician 1868–1933

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

How is Baştopçu written and pronounced abroad?

In foreign documents the name is usually written Bastopcu.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Baştopçu?

Topçu, Topçuoğlu and Büyüktopçu share gloss keywords with Baştopçu within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Baştopçu?

Read the root, formation and register information for Baştopçu 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 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: baş accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: topçu 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 Baştopçu

Q1

What does the surname Baştopçu mean?

Made of baş “chief, head” and topçu “artilleryman”: “chief gunner, head of the gunners”. It is built like titles such as başçavuş “chief sergeant” and başkâtip “chief clerk”. Topçu is top “cannon” plus the suffix -çu.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Baştopçu?

Baştopçu is made up of two elements: baş “head; chief” (Turkic) and topçu “artilleryman, gunner” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Baştopçu?

Baş·top·çu, 3 syllables; IPA: /baʃtopˈtʃu/.