Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,000

Çelenk

Çelenk /tʃeˈlenc/ ASCII Celenk

“wreath; plume”2

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

How do you pronounce Çelenk?

Çelenk

IPA /tʃeˈlenc/

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

What does the surname Çelenk mean?

A çelenk is a wreath woven of flowers, branches and leaves, today mostly laid at commemorations and celebrations. In the older language a jewelled or metal plume worn on the head was also called çelenk, and in Ottoman times a decoration of honour for acts of valour bore this name. The surname carries associations of both adornment and honour.2

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

Çelenk is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Çelenk made of?

Çelenk is a single root: çelenk (çelenk: wreath; jewelled plume).

Çelenk root çelenk çelenk: wreath; jewelledplume PERSIAN çelenk “wreath, garland;jewelled or metal plume…” Çelenk çelenk root çelenk: wreath; jewelled plume çelenk PERSIAN “wreath, garland; jewelled ormetal plume worn on the head”
Çelenk: parts and root words
  • çelenk Persian — wreath, garland; jewelled or metal plume worn on the head2

How was the name Çelenk formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Çelenk?

  1. Erhan Çelenk association football player 1989–
  2. Halit Çelenk politician 1921–2011
  3. Ali Cengiz Çelenk theatre director 1934–1978
  4. Feyha Çelenk actor 1945–2026
  5. Semih Çelenk author 1965–
  6. Sevcan Çelenk botanist
  7. Şekibe Çelenk politician 1921–2020

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

Is Çelenk also a first name?

Yes. Çelenk is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “wreath; plume”.

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

How is Çelenk written and pronounced abroad?

Records without Turkish letters usually write Celenk.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: çelenk accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: çelenk 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 Çelenk

Q1

What does the surname Çelenk mean?

A çelenk is a wreath woven of flowers, branches and leaves, today mostly laid at commemorations and celebrations. In the older language a jewelled or metal plume worn on the head was also called çelenk, and in Ottoman times a decoration of honour for acts of valour bore this name. The surname carries associations of both adornment and honour.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Çelenk?

The root word of Çelenk is çelenk (Persian): “wreath, garland; jewelled or metal plume worn on the head”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Çelenk?

Çe·lenk, 2 syllables; IPA: /tʃeˈlenc/.