Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,830

Eray

Eray /eˈɾaj/

“moon-bright hero”1

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Compound
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
E
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Eray?

Eray

IPA /eˈɾaj/

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

What does the surname Eray mean?

Eray is a Turkish name made of er ‘man, valiant warrior’ and ay ‘moon’, understood as ‘a hero bright as the moon’. Both Er- and -ay are frequent elements in Turkish naming (Erhan, Alpay, Tuncay). It is used for both sexes.1,2

Grammar er + ay.

That Eray goes back to er and ay is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Eray made of?

Eray is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: er (er: man, valiant warrior) + ay (ay: moon; radiant).

Eray + root er er: man, valiant warrior TURKIC er “man, hero” root ay ay: moon; radiant TURKIC ay “moon; symbol of beauty” Eray er root er: man, valiant warrior er TURKIC “man, hero” ay root ay: moon; radiant ay TURKIC “moon; symbol of beauty”
Eray: parts and root words
  • er Turkic — man, hero1
  • ay Turkic — moon; symbol of beauty2

How was the name Eray formed?

Eray was formed by joining er (“er: man, valiant warrior”) and ay (“ay: moon; radiant”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.6

Who are some well-known people named Eray?

  1. Nazlı Eray politician 1945–
  2. Gülbin Eray film actor 1936–2024
  3. Naci Eray composer 1960–
  4. Oktay Eray researcher

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

Is Eray also a first name?

Yes. Eray is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “moon-bright hero”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: er accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: ay accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Eray accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Wiktionary: er 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Eray

Q1

What does the surname Eray mean?

Eray is a Turkish name made of er ‘man, valiant warrior’ and ay ‘moon’, understood as ‘a hero bright as the moon’. Both Er- and -ay are frequent elements in Turkish naming (Erhan, Alpay, Tuncay). It is used for both sexes.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Eray?

Eray is made up of two elements: er “man, hero” (Turkic) and ay “moon; symbol of beauty” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Eray?

E·ray, 2 syllables; IPA: /eˈɾaj/.