Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,731

İlkel

İlkel /ilˈkel/ ASCII Ilkel

“primitive, original”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
İ
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce İlkel?

İlkel

IPA /ilˈkel/

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

What does the surname İlkel mean?

İlkel means ‘in its first state, at the beginning of its development’, i.e. ‘primitive’; in art it also describes what is simple and unaffected. According to Nişanyan it was derived from ilk ‘first’ with the New Turkish suffix +Al, a Language Reform formation. İlk comes from Old Turkic ilki/ilk ‘earlier’.1

Grammar ilk + -el (New Turkish adjective suffix).

İlkel is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is İlkel made of?

İlkel breaks into 2 parts: ilk (first) + -el (New Turkish adjective suffix).

İlkel + root ilk first TURKIC ilk “earlier, first” suffix -el New Turkish adjectivesuffix İlkel ilk root first ilk TURKIC “earlier, first” -el suffix New Turkish adjective suffix
İlkel: parts and root words
  • ilk Turkic — earlier, first1

How was the name İlkel formed?

İlkel belongs to the “suffixed” class of surnames (ilk + -el).

Which surnames are related to İlkel?

İlkel İlkin İlkan
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 İlkin same root – –
02 İlkan same root – –

Who are some well-known people named İlkel?

  1. Cem İlkel tennis player 1995–
  2. Fahir İlkel politician 1925–1993

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: ilkel accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: ilkel 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

Common questions about İlkel

Q1

What does the surname İlkel mean?

İlkel means ‘in its first state, at the beginning of its development’, i.e. ‘primitive’; in art it also describes what is simple and unaffected. According to Nişanyan it was derived from ilk ‘first’ with the New Turkish suffix +Al, a Language Reform formation. İlk comes from Old Turkic ilki/ilk ‘earlier’.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname İlkel?

The root word of İlkel is ilk (Turkic): “earlier, first”.
Q3

How do you pronounce İlkel?

İl·kel, 2 syllables; IPA: /ilˈkel/.