Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,402

Çerkez

Çerkez /t͡ʃeɾˈkez/ ASCII Cerkez

“Circassian”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Ç
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 Çerkez?

Çerkez

IPA /t͡ʃeɾˈkez/

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

What does the surname Çerkez mean?

Çerkez, Circassian, is the name of a people of the north-western Caucasus. en.Wiktionary has the word entering Ottoman Turkish from Russian čerkés; Nişanyan Adlar notes that the name likely developed from that of the Kerketai, a Caucasian tribe mentioned by Strabo and Pliny. Names of peoples are among the words that became surnames in Türkiye; the name is explained here only as a word.1

What is Çerkez made of?

Çerkez is a single root: Çerkez (name of a people of the Caucasus).

Çerkez root Çerkez name of a people of theCaucasus OTHER Çerkez “Circassian, a people ofthe Caucasus (via…” Çerkez Çerkez root name of a people of the Caucasus Çerkez OTHER “Circassian, a people of theCaucasus (via Russian čerkés)”
Çerkez: parts and root words
  • Çerkez Other — Circassian, a people of the Caucasus (via Russian čerkés)1

How was the name Çerkez formed?

Çerkez is the word Çerkez (“name of a people of the Caucasus”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Which surnames are related to Çerkez?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Çerkezoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Çerkez?

  1. Orhan Çerkez politician 1962–

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

Is Çerkez also a first name?

Yes. Çerkez is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Circassian”.

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

How is Çerkez written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey Çerkez is usually written Cerkez. In Turkish, ç sounds like English “ch”; z is voiced, as in English “zoo”.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Çerkez accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Çerkez accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Çerkez accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Çerkez

Q1

What does the surname Çerkez mean?

Çerkez, Circassian, is the name of a people of the north-western Caucasus. en.Wiktionary has the word entering Ottoman Turkish from Russian čerkés; Nişanyan Adlar notes that the name likely developed from that of the Kerketai, a Caucasian tribe mentioned by Strabo and Pliny. Names of peoples are among the words that became surnames in Türkiye; the name is explained here only as a word.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Çerkez?

The root word of Çerkez is Çerkez (another language): “Circassian, a people of the Caucasus (via Russian čerkés)”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Çerkez?

Çer·kez, 2 syllables; IPA: /t͡ʃeɾˈkez/.