Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,852

Erden

Erden /eɾˈden/

“virgin, untouched”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Adjective
Vowel harmony
front
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 Erden?

Erden

IPA /eɾˈden/

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

What does the surname Erden mean?

Erden is a word taken into the written language during the Language Reform with the sense “virgin, untouched”. Nişanyan Sözlük gives its source as Kipchak erdeŋ “virgin”, recorded in the Codex Cumanicus. Nişanyan Adlar adds that in use the name is sometimes understood as the ablative of er “man”, “born of a man”.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Nişanyan Sözlük: from Kipchak erdeŋ “virgin”, adopted in the Language Reform.
  2. Nişanyan Adlar: in use also understood as the ablative of er “man”, “born of a man”.

Erden is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Erden made of?

Erden is a single Turkic root: erden (virgin, untouched).

Erden root erden virgin, untouched TURKIC erdeŋ “virgin (Kipchak)” Erden erden root virgin, untouched erdeŋ TURKIC “virgin (Kipchak)”
Erden: parts and root words
  • erdeŋ Turkic — virgin (Kipchak)1

How was the name Erden formed?

Erden is the adjective erden (“virgin, untouched”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Erden?

  1. Semih Erden basketball player 1986–
  2. Fatma Seher Erden soldier 1888–1955
  3. Cüneyt Erden basketball player 1977–
  4. Nezaket Erden actor 1990–
  5. Ali Fuat Erden soldier 1882–1957
  6. Esra Erden basketball player 1984–
  7. Rojbin Erden actor 2000–
  8. Şaban Erden politician 1949–

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

Is Erden also a first name?

Yes. Erden is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “virgin, untouched”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: erden accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Erden accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: erden 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 Erden

Q1

What does the surname Erden mean?

Erden is a word taken into the written language during the Language Reform with the sense “virgin, untouched”. Nişanyan Sözlük gives its source as Kipchak erdeŋ “virgin”, recorded in the Codex Cumanicus. Nişanyan Adlar adds that in use the name is sometimes understood as the ablative of er “man”, “born of a man”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Erden?

The root word of Erden is erdeŋ (Turkic): “virgin (Kipchak)”. There are 3 competing views on where Erden comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Erden?

Er·den, 2 syllables; IPA: /eɾˈden/.