Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,241

Cem

/dʒem/

“Jamshid, the legendary king”1

Letters / syllables
3 / 1
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
C
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Abroad
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce Cem?

Cem

IPA /dʒem/

What does the surname Cem mean?

Cem comes from Persian Jam, the legendary king Jamshid of Iranian epic, a symbol of splendour in Ottoman culture through images such as “the cup of Jam”. Cem Sultan, son of Mehmed the Conqueror, bore the name. The Turkish word cem “gathering”, of Arabic origin, is a separate word.1

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

What is Cem made of?

Cem is a single Persian root: Cem (Cem: Jamshid, the legendary king of Iranian epic).

Cem root Cem Cem: Jamshid, thelegendary king of… PERSIAN jam “Jamshid, legendary king” Cem Cem root Cem: Jamshid, the legendary king ofIranian epic jam PERSIAN “Jamshid, legendary king”
Cem: parts and root words
  • jam Persian — Jamshid, legendary king1

How was the name Cem formed?

Cem is the word Cem (“Cem: Jamshid, the legendary king of Iranian epic”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Which surnames are related to Cem?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Cemgil same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Cem?

  1. Cemil Cem painter 1882–1950

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

Is Cem also a first name?

Yes. Cem is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Jamshid, the legendary king”.

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

How is Cem written and pronounced abroad?

The name has no Turkish-specific letters and is written Cem abroad as well.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Cem accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: cem accessed 9 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Cem

Q1

What does the surname Cem mean?

Cem comes from Persian Jam, the legendary king Jamshid of Iranian epic, a symbol of splendour in Ottoman culture through images such as “the cup of Jam”. Cem Sultan, son of Mehmed the Conqueror, bore the name. The Turkish word cem “gathering”, of Arabic origin, is a separate word.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Cem?

The root word of Cem is jam (Persian): “Jamshid, legendary king”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Cem?

Cem, 1 syllable; IPA: /dʒem/.