Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,839

Eken

Eken /eˈcen/

“one who sows”1

Probable origin Eken: root entries for ekmek · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
From a verb
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
E
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How do you pronounce Eken?

Eken

IPA /eˈcen/

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

What does the surname Eken mean?

Eken is the participle of the verb ekmek “to sow”: “one who sows”. The form points to farming and recalls the Turkish proverb eken biçer, “he who sows, reaps”.1

Grammar Participle in -en of ekmek (ek- + -en).

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

What is Eken made of?

Eken is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: ek- (ekmek: to sow) + -en (participle suffix).

Eken + root ek- ekmek: to sow TURKIC ekmek “to sow, to plant” suffix -en participle suffix Eken ek- root ekmek: to sow ekmek TURKIC “to sow, to plant” -en suffix participle suffix
Eken: parts and root words
  • ekmek Turkic — to sow, to plant1

How was the name Eken formed?

Eken was formed by adding the suffix -en (“participle suffix”) to the verb stem ek- (“ekmek: to sow”).

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

Which surnames are related to Eken?

Eken Ekici Eker
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Ekici same root – –
02 Eker same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Eken?

  1. Bülent Eken association football player 1923–2016
  2. Reha Eken association football player 1925–2013
  3. Korkut Eken military personnel 1945–
  4. Kemalettin Eken military officer 1911–1989
  5. Murat Eken actor 1980–
  6. Etem Eken politician 1929–2019
  7. Mustafa Eken politician 1901–1993
  8. Okan Eken association football player 1992–

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Eken?

Eker, Ekici and Diker share gloss keywords with Eken within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Eken?

Read the root, formation and register information for Eken 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?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: ekmek
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: ekmek
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Eken

Q1

What does the surname Eken mean?

Eken is the participle of the verb ekmek “to sow”: “one who sows”. The form points to farming and recalls the Turkish proverb eken biçer, “he who sows, reaps”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Eken?

The root word of Eken is ekmek (Turkic): “to sow, to plant”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Eken?

E·ken, 2 syllables; IPA: /eˈcen/.