Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 985

Berkan

Berkan /beɾˈkan/

“of sound mind; firm khan”1

Disputed origin Berkan: root entries for berk · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
B
Cite and share
Download card

How do you pronounce Berkan?

Berkan

IPA /beɾˈkan/

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

What does the surname Berkan mean?

Nişanyan Adlar offers several explanations for Berkan: berk ‘firm’ + an ‘mind’, ‘of sound mind’, or Berk-han ‘firm khan’. It is also linked with Kurdish berken ‘smiling’, and the name occurs as that of a hero in Adyghe (Circassian) mythology.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. berk + an ‘mind’: ‘of sound mind’, or berk + han (Nişanyan Adlar).
  2. Kurdish berken ‘smiling’ (view cited in Nişanyan Adlar).

What is Berkan made of?

Berkan is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: berk (berk: firm, solid) + -an (an: mind (Language Reform word), or han).

Berkan + root berk berk: firm, solid TURKIC berk “firm, strong” root -an an: mind (Language Reformword), or han Berkan berk root berk: firm, solid berk TURKIC “firm, strong” -an root an: mind (Language Reform word), orhan
Berkan: parts and root words

How was the name Berkan formed?

Berkan was formed by joining berk (“berk: firm, solid”) and -an (“an: mind (Language Reform word), or han”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Berkan?

Berkan Berk Berker Berköz Berksoy Özberk Berkin
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Berk same root – –
02 Berker same root – –
03 Berköz same root – –
04 Berksoy same root – –
05 Özberk same root – –
06 Berkin same root – –
07 Berkman same root – –
08 Berktaş same root – –
09 Berktay same root – –
10 Erberk same root – –
11 Berkay same root – –
12 Canberk same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Berkan?

  1. İsmet Berkan journalist 1964–

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

Is Berkan also a first name?

Yes. Berkan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “of sound mind; firm khan”.

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Berkan?

Kandemir, Taşkan and Aygen share gloss keywords with Berkan within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Berkan?

Read the root, formation and register information for Berkan alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Berkan accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Berkan

Q1

What does the surname Berkan mean?

Nişanyan Adlar offers several explanations for Berkan: berk ‘firm’ + an ‘mind’, ‘of sound mind’, or Berk-han ‘firm khan’. It is also linked with Kurdish berken ‘smiling’, and the name occurs as that of a hero in Adyghe (Circassian) mythology.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Berkan?

Berkan is made up of two elements: berk “firm, strong” (Turkic) and -an “mind (Language Reform word), or han” (Turkic). There are 3 competing views on where Berkan comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Berkan?

Ber·kan, 2 syllables; IPA: /beɾˈkan/.