SURNAMEEntry 1,034
Bilgen
“knowing, learned”1
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How do you pronounce Bilgen?
The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Bilgen mean?
Bilgen is formed from bilmek ‘to know’ with the suffix -gen and is understood as ‘knowing, learned’; the suffix, as in çalışkan ‘hard-working’ and unutkan ‘forgetful’, marks a lasting trait. It is close in sense to bilge ‘wise’ and bilgin ‘scholar’.1
Grammar bil- + -gen (-GAn): adjective of a habitual trait.
That Bilgen goes back to bilmek and bilge is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.
How was the name Bilgen formed?
Bilgen was formed by adding the suffix -gen (“deverbal adjective suffix of habit”) to bil- (“bilmek: to know”).
Which surnames are related to Bilgen?
| # | Surname | Relation | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bilgin | same root | – | – |
| 02 | Bilge | same root | – | – |
| 03 | Bilir | same root | – | – |
| 04 | Bilici | same root | – | – |
| 05 | Bilen | same root | – | – |
| 06 | Özbilen | same root | – | – |
| 07 | Bilgi | same root | – | – |
| 08 | Bildik | same root | – | – |
| 09 | Bilgehan | same root | – | – |
| 10 | Bilecen | same root | – | – |
| 11 | Güçbilmez | same root | – | – |
| 12 | Biler | same root | – | – |
Who are some well-known people named Bilgen?
- İbrahim Bilgen politician 1949–2010
- Ayhan Bilgen politician 1971–
- Bülent Kaan Bilgen association football player 1977–
- Mustafa Levent Bilgen diplomat 1966–
- Samim Bilgen composer 1910–2005
- Üstün Bilgen-Reinart writer 1947–
- Anıl Bilgen composer 1989–
- Süleyman Bilgen politician 1855–1923
People surnamed Bilgen as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Bilgen also a first name?
Yes. Bilgen is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “knowing, learned”.
Bilgen as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
Which surnames have a meaning similar to Bilgen?
Biler, Bilici and Bilir share gloss keywords with Bilgen within the same primary category.
Which guides add context to Bilgen?
Read the root, formation and register information for Bilgen 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 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: bilge
- 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Bilgen
- 3 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Bilgen
- 4 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: bilge
- 5 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Bilgen
- Q1
What does the surname Bilgen mean?
- Bilgen is formed from bilmek ‘to know’ with the suffix -gen and is understood as ‘knowing, learned’; the suffix, as in çalışkan ‘hard-working’ and unutkan ‘forgetful’, marks a lasting trait. It is close in sense to bilge ‘wise’ and bilgin ‘scholar’.
- Q2
What is the origin of the surname Bilgen?
- Bilgen is made up of two elements: bilmek “to know” (Turkic) and bilge “wise, learned” (Turkic).
- Q3
How do you pronounce Bilgen?
- Bil·gen, 2 syllables; IPA: /bilˈɡen/.