Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,358

Ergenekon

Ergenekon /eɾɟeneˈkon/

“a valley of epic legend”2

Letters / syllables
9 / 4
Formation
Plain noun
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 Ergenekon?

Ergenekon

IPA /eɾɟeneˈkon/

The stress usually falls on syllable 4 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Ergenekon mean?

Ergenekon is the name of the valley that was the first homeland of the Mongols in the Mongol epic told by Rashid al-Din and Abulghazi Bahadur Khan. According to Nişanyan Adlar, the same story was adapted into Turkish national mythology and popularised in Turkey by Ziya Gökalp. The source adds that the Chagatai dictionary Sanglakh explains Mongolian ergene qûn as “narrow passage”, but notes that this sense could not be confirmed in reputable Mongolian dictionaries.2

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

What is Ergenekon made of?

Ergenekon is a single root: Ergenekon (name of a valley in epic tradition).

Ergenekon root Ergenekon name of a valley in epictradition MONGOLIC Ergenekon “valley of the firsthomeland in the Mongol…” Ergenekon Ergenekon root name of a valley in epic tradition Ergenekon MONGOLIC “valley of the first homeland inthe Mongol epic”
Ergenekon: parts and root words
  • Ergenekon Mongolic — valley of the first homeland in the Mongol epic2

How was the name Ergenekon formed?

Ergenekon belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Ergenekon?

  1. Necabettin Ergenekon military personnel 1926–2020
  2. Gökberk Ergenekon politician 1953–
  3. Yılmaz Ergenekon politician 1929–1983
  4. Hilal Ergenekon television presenter 1981–
  5. Sema Ergenekon actor 1977–

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

Is Ergenekon also a first name?

Yes. Ergenekon is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “a valley of epic legend”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

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

Common questions about Ergenekon

Q1

What does the surname Ergenekon mean?

Ergenekon is the name of the valley that was the first homeland of the Mongols in the Mongol epic told by Rashid al-Din and Abulghazi Bahadur Khan. According to Nişanyan Adlar, the same story was adapted into Turkish national mythology and popularised in Turkey by Ziya Gökalp. The source adds that the Chagatai dictionary Sanglakh explains Mongolian ergene qûn as “narrow passage”, but notes that this sense could not be confirmed in reputable Mongolian dictionaries.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Ergenekon?

The root word of Ergenekon is Ergenekon (Mongolic): “valley of the first homeland in the Mongol epic”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Ergenekon?

Er·ge·ne·kon, 4 syllables; IPA: /eɾɟeneˈkon/.