Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,282

Elçi

Elçi /elˈtʃi/ ASCII Elci

“envoy, ambassador”3

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
E
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 Elçi?

Elçi

IPA /elˈtʃi/

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

What does the surname Elçi mean?

An elçi is an envoy, one who represents a state at another’s court; the word was formed in Old Turkic from el ‘realm, state’ with the suffix -çi. In everyday speech it also means a go-between sent to settle a matter and the matchmaker who goes to ask for a bride.2,3

Grammar el + -çi: an agent noun formed in Old Turkic.

Elçi is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Elçi made of?

Elçi breaks into 2 parts: el (realm, country; people) + -çi (agent suffix).

Elçi ++ root el realm, country; people TURKIC elçi “envoy, ambassador;go-between; matchmaker” suffix -çi agent suffix TURKIC el “realm; people” Elçi el root realm, country; people elçi TURKIC “envoy, ambassador; go-between;matchmaker” -çi suffix agent suffix el TURKIC “realm; people”
Elçi: parts and root words
  • elçi Turkic — envoy, ambassador; go-between; matchmaker3
  • el Turkic — realm; people2

How was the name Elçi formed?

Elçi belongs to the “suffixed” class of surnames (el + -çi).

Who are some well-known people named Elçi?

  1. Tahir Elçi lawyer 1966–2015
  2. Şerafettin Elçi politician 1938–2012
  3. İsmet Elçi actor 1964–
  4. Niran Elçi writer 1971–
  5. Türkân Elçi sculptor 1954–
  6. Türkân Elçi statesperson 1971–
  7. Alper Elçi researcher
  8. Erkan Elçi researcher

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

Is Elçi also a first name?

Yes. Elçi is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “envoy, ambassador”.

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

How is Elçi written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Türkiye the name is often written Elci in passports and registers that lack Turkish letters.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: elçi accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: el accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Elçi accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Elçi (anlam ayrımı) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  8. 8 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Elçi

Q1

What does the surname Elçi mean?

An elçi is an envoy, one who represents a state at another’s court; the word was formed in Old Turkic from el ‘realm, state’ with the suffix -çi. In everyday speech it also means a go-between sent to settle a matter and the matchmaker who goes to ask for a bride.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Elçi?

The root word of Elçi is elçi (Turkic): “envoy, ambassador; go-between; matchmaker”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Elçi?

El·çi, 2 syllables; IPA: /elˈtʃi/.