Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 790

Bora

Bora /ˈboɾa/

“squall, violent wind”2

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
B
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce Bora?

Bora

IPA /ˈboɾa/

The stress usually falls on syllable 1 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Bora mean?

A bora is a sudden, violent wind that often brings rain or snow. The word already meant “tempest” in Ottoman Turkish and is linked to boran “snowstorm” in Turkmen and Crimean Tatar. Its likeness to Italian bora, the Adriatic north wind, and to Greek Boreas is also striking. It is a male given name evoking force and speed.2

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Turkic: from a root *bora- “north wind; to snow heavily”, cognate with boran (en.wiktionary).
  2. A Mediterranean wanderword related to Italian bora and Greek Boreas “north wind” (en.wiktionary).

Bora is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Bora made of?

Bora is a single root: bora (bora: a sharp squall, often bringing rain).

Bora + root bora bora: a sharp squall,often bringing rain TURKIC bora “squall, violent wind” TURKIC bora “Ottoman bora ‘tempest’;linked to Turkic…” Bora bora root bora: a sharp squall, often bringingrain bora TURKIC “squall, violent wind” bora TURKIC “Ottoman bora ‘tempest’; linkedto Turkic *bora-, boran, or…”
Bora: parts and root words
  • bora Turkic — squall, violent wind2
  • bora Turkic — Ottoman bora “tempest”; linked to Turkic *bora-, boran, or seen as a wanderword related to Greek Boreas2

How was the name Bora formed?

Bora belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Which surnames are related to Bora?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Boralı same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Bora?

  1. Ekrem Bora actor 1932–2012
  2. Vedat Bora association football player 1995–
  3. Salih Bora amateur wrestler 1953–
  4. Mevlüt Bora sport cyclist 1947–
  5. Muazzez Bora actor 1932–2014
  6. Tanıl Bora writer 1963–
  7. Aksu Bora author 1964–
  8. Arslan Bora politician 1914–1974

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

Is Bora also a first name?

Yes. Bora is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “squall, violent wind”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: bora accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: bora accessed 8 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
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Bora

Q1

What does the surname Bora mean?

A bora is a sudden, violent wind that often brings rain or snow. The word already meant “tempest” in Ottoman Turkish and is linked to boran “snowstorm” in Turkmen and Crimean Tatar. Its likeness to Italian bora, the Adriatic north wind, and to Greek Boreas is also striking. It is a male given name evoking force and speed.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Bora?

The root word of Bora is bora (Turkic): “squall, violent wind”. There are 3 competing views on where Bora comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Bora?

Bo·ra, 2 syllables; IPA: /ˈboɾa/.