Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,868

Elmalı

Elmalı /eɫmaˈɫɯ/ ASCII Elmali

“from Elmalı, ‘place of apples’”2

Established origin Elmalı: root entries for Elmalı + elma · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 3
Formation
Place name
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
E
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How do you pronounce Elmalı?

Elmalı

IPA /eɫmaˈɫɯ/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Elmalı mean?

In Turkish geography, Elmalı is the name of a district of Antalya and of many towns and villages across Anatolia. The place name is elma ‘apple’ with the suffix -lı: ‘the place rich in apples’. The surname rests on one of these place names.1,2

Grammar elma + -lı: place name.

What is Elmalı made of?

Elmalı is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: elma (apple) + -lı (from; having).

Elmalı ++ root elma apple TURKIC Elmalı “district of Antalya;many towns and…” suffix -lı from; having TURKIC elma “apple, apple tree” Elmalı elma root apple Elmalı TURKIC “district of Antalya; many townsand villages; elma + -lı” -lı suffix from; having elma TURKIC “apple, apple tree”
Elmalı: parts and root words
  • Elmalı Turkic — district of Antalya; many towns and villages; elma + -lı2
  • elma Turkic — apple, apple tree1

How was the name Elmalı formed?

Elmalı was formed by adding the suffix -lı (“from; having”) to elma (“apple”).

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

Which surnames are related to Elmalı?

Elmalı Elmacı Elma Elmaağaçlı Elmalıpınar
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Elmacı same root – –
02 Elma same root – –
03 Elmaağaçlı same root – –
04 Elmalıpınar same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Elmalı?

  1. Eren Elmalı association football player 2000–
  2. Mustafa Elmalı taekwondo athlete 2000–
  3. Havva Elmalı athletics competitor 2003–
  4. Ayhan Elmalı researcher
  5. Ayşe Deniz Elmalı researcher

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

How is Elmalı written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Türkiye the name is often written Elmali.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Elmalı?

Develi, Develioğlu and Dutlulu share gloss keywords with Elmalı within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Elmalı?

Read the root, formation and register information for Elmalı alongside these guides: How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames 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: elma
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Elmalı
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: elma
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Elmalı

Q1

What does the surname Elmalı mean?

In Turkish geography, Elmalı is the name of a district of Antalya and of many towns and villages across Anatolia. The place name is elma ‘apple’ with the suffix -lı: ‘the place rich in apples’. The surname rests on one of these place names.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Elmalı?

The root word of Elmalı is elma (Turkic): “apple, apple tree”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Elmalı?

El·ma·lı, 3 syllables; IPA: /eɫmaˈɫɯ/.