Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 865

Caba

Caba /dʒaˈba/

“free; extra”2

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

How do you pronounce Caba?

Caba

IPA /dʒaˈba/

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

What does the surname Caba mean?

Caba means something obtained without paying, “free”; it is also used for “on top of that, extra”, as in bu da cabası, “and that comes as a bonus”. Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic cabā’, “a kind of extraordinary levy”.2

That Caba goes back to caba is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.

Caba is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Caba made of?

Caba is a single root: caba (free of charge; in addition).

Caba root caba free of charge; inaddition ARABIC caba “something got fornothing; extra” Caba caba root free of charge; in addition caba ARABIC “something got for nothing; extra”
Caba: parts and root words
  • caba Arabic — something got for nothing; extra2

How was the name Caba formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Caba?

  1. Güldal Çaba psychologist
  2. Julia Caba Alba actor 1902–1988
  3. Antoni Caba painter 1838–1907
  4. Irene Caba Alba actor 1899–1957
  5. Eduardo Caba composer 1890–1953

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

Is Caba also a first name?

Yes. Caba is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “free; extra”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: caba accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: caba 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 Caba

Q1

What does the surname Caba mean?

Caba means something obtained without paying, “free”; it is also used for “on top of that, extra”, as in bu da cabası, “and that comes as a bonus”. Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic cabā’, “a kind of extraordinary levy”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Caba?

The root word of Caba is caba (Arabic): “something got for nothing; extra”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Caba?

Ca·ba, 2 syllables; IPA: /dʒaˈba/.