Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,386

Çatalbaş

Çatalbaş /tʃataɫˈbaʃ/ ASCII Catalbas

“fork-headed, twin-topped”3

Probable origin Çatalbaş: root entries for çatal + baş · How do we know?

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Letters / syllables
8 / 3
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
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Initial
Ç
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How do you pronounce Çatalbaş?

Çatalbaş

IPA /tʃataɫˈbaʃ/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Çatalbaş mean?

Çatal “forked” joins baş “head, top”: Çatalbaş means “fork-headed, with a split top”. Names of this kind serve both as nicknames and as place names for twin-peaked hills.1,3

Grammar Compound: çatal + baş

That Çatalbaş goes back to çatal and baş is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Çatalbaş made of?

Çatalbaş is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: çatal (çatal: forked, branching) + baş (baş: head; top end).

Çatalbaş + root çatal çatal: forked, branching TURKIC çatal “forked; fork” root baş baş: head; top end TURKIC baş “head; top” Çatalbaş çatal root çatal: forked, branching çatal TURKIC “forked; fork” baş root baş: head; top end baş TURKIC “head; top”
Çatalbaş: parts and root words

How was the name Çatalbaş formed?

Çatalbaş was formed by joining çatal (“çatal: forked, branching”) and baş (“baş: head; top end”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Which surnames are related to Çatalbaş?

Çatalbaş Akbaş Baş Subaşı Başer Kocabaş Erbaş
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Akbaş same root – –
02 Baş same root – –
03 Subaşı same root – –
04 Başer same root – –
05 Kocabaş same root – –
06 Erbaş same root – –
07 Baştürk same root – –
08 Demirbaş same root – –
09 Başkan same root – –
10 Başoğlu same root – –
11 Yüzbaşıoğlu same root – –
12 Odabaş same root – –

How is Çatalbaş written and pronounced abroad?

In Çatalbaş, ş (English “sh”) often appears as s; ç (English “ch”) often appears as c, giving forms such as Catalbas.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Çatalbaş?

Danabaş, Sertbaş and Ayrık share gloss keywords with Çatalbaş within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Çatalbaş?

Read the root, formation and register information for Çatalbaş alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: baş accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Çatalbaş accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: çatal accessed 9 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Çatalbaş

Q1

What does the surname Çatalbaş mean?

Çatal “forked” joins baş “head, top”: Çatalbaş means “fork-headed, with a split top”. Names of this kind serve both as nicknames and as place names for twin-peaked hills.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Çatalbaş?

Çatalbaş is made up of two elements: çatal “forked; fork” (Turkic) and baş “head; top” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Çatalbaş?

Ça·tal·baş, 3 syllables; IPA: /tʃataɫˈbaʃ/.