SURNAMEEntry 1,567
Gülen
“smiling”2
- CategoryHeart, joy and hope
- OriginTurkic
- FormFrom a verb
- Letters / syllables
- 5 / 2
- Formation
- From a verb
- Vowel harmony
- front
Contents§1–§12
How do you pronounce Gülen?
The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Gülen mean?
The -en participle of gülmek, “to laugh”: “smiling, the one who laughs”. The name describes a cheerful, warm-hearted person and comes from the same verb as Güler. It is also used as a female given name.2
Grammar Participle of gülmek (gül- + -en).
What is Gülen made of?
Gülen breaks into 2 parts: gül- (gülmek: to laugh, to smile) + -en (participle suffix).
- gülmek Turkic — to laugh, to smile2
How was the name Gülen formed?
Gülen belongs to the “from a verb” class of surnames (gül- + -en).
Which surnames are related to Gülen?
| # | Surname | Relation | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Güler | same root | – | – |
| 02 | Güleç | same root | – | – |
| 03 | Güleryüz | same root | – | – |
| 04 | Gülmez | same root | – | – |
| 05 | Songülen | same root | – | – |
Where in Türkiye is Gülen most common?
Gülen is outside the national top 30, but it appears in the top-30 list of 1 province; its best rank is 26th in Bolu.1
- In the province top 30 1
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bolu | 26 | 1,066 |
Who are some well-known people named Gülen?
- Fethullah Gülen writer 1941–2024
- Levent Gülen association football player 1994–
- Nur Mustafa Gülen association football player 1960–
- Dinçer Gülen zoologist
- Harun Gülen physiotherapist 1984–
- Ömer Gülen association football player 1954–
- Adnan Gülen association football player 1998–
- Burak Gülen researcher
People surnamed Gülen as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Gülen also a first name?
Yes. Gülen is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “smiling”.
Gülen as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
How is Gülen written and pronounced abroad?
In passports and records outside Turkey Gülen is usually written Gulen or Guelen.
Where do these facts come from?
- 1 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: gülmek
- 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Gülen
- 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759)
- 7 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 8 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Gülen
- Q1
What does the surname Gülen mean?
- The -en participle of gülmek, “to laugh”: “smiling, the one who laughs”. The name describes a cheerful, warm-hearted person and comes from the same verb as Güler. It is also used as a female given name.
- Q2
What is the origin of the surname Gülen?
- The root word of Gülen is gülmek (Turkic): “to laugh, to smile”.
- Q3
How do you pronounce Gülen?
- Gü·len, 2 syllables; IPA: /ɟyˈlen/.