Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,243

Cansev

Cansev /dʒanˈsev/

“love dearly”2

Probable origin Cansev: root entries for can + sevmek · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
C
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How do you pronounce Cansev?

Cansev

IPA /dʒanˈsev/

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

What does the surname Cansev mean?

Cansev is built like a short sentence: can “soul, dear one” plus sev, the imperative of sevmek “to love”. It reads “love the soul, love dearly”; as the last element is Turkish, the name counts as a Turkish formation.1,2

Grammar can + imperative sev-.

That Cansev goes back to can and sevmek is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Cansev made of?

Cansev combines Persian and Turkic elements in 2 parts: can (can: soul, dear one) + sev (imperative of sevmek “to love”).

Cansev + root can can: soul, dear one PERSIAN can “soul, life; dear one” root sev imperative of sevmek “tolove” TURKIC sevmek “to love” Cansev can root can: soul, dear one can PERSIAN “soul, life; dear one” sev root imperative of sevmek “to love” sevmek TURKIC “to love”
Cansev: parts and root words

How was the name Cansev formed?

Cansev was formed by joining can (“can: soul, dear one”) and sev (“imperative of sevmek “to love””).

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

Which surnames are related to Cansev?

Cansev Özcan Can Ercan Demircan Seven Candan
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Özcan same root 25 233,820
02 Can same root 27 230,085
03 Ercan same root – –
04 Demircan same root – –
05 Seven same root – –
06 Candan same root – –
07 Tezcan same root – –
08 Vatansever same root – –
09 Karacan same root – –
10 Sever same root – –
11 Sevim same root – –
12 Babacan same root – –

Is Cansev also a first name?

Yes. Cansev is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “love dearly”.

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

How is Cansev written and pronounced abroad?

Cansev has no Turkish-specific letters and is written the same way abroad.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Cansev?

Seviğ, Can and Akcan share gloss keywords with Cansev within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Cansev?

Read the root, formation and register information for Cansev 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 Sözlük: sevmek accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: can 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 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Cansev

Q1

What does the surname Cansev mean?

Cansev is built like a short sentence: can “soul, dear one” plus sev, the imperative of sevmek “to love”. It reads “love the soul, love dearly”; as the last element is Turkish, the name counts as a Turkish formation.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Cansev?

Cansev is made up of two elements: can “soul, life; dear one” (Persian) and sevmek “to love” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Cansev?

Can·sev, 2 syllables; IPA: /dʒanˈsev/.