Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 1,757

İris

İris /iˈɾis/ ASCII Iris

“iris; rainbow”1

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
İ
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Abroad
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce İris?

İris

IPA /iˈɾis/

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

What does the surname İris mean?

İris is the coloured part of the eye and also the iris flower. Nişanyan Sözlük traces the word through French iris to Ancient Greek íris ‘rainbow’. It is also a female given name; Nişanyan Adlar notes that, by general agreement, the name derives from the Greek word for ‘rainbow’.1

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

İris is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is İris made of?

İris is a single root: iris (iris of the eye; iris flower).

İris root iris iris of the eye; irisflower FRENCH iris “iris of the eye; irisflower” İris iris root iris of the eye; iris flower iris FRENCH “iris of the eye; iris flower”
İris: parts and root words
  • iris French — iris of the eye; iris flower1

How was the name İris formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named İris?

  1. Esin İris musician 1988–
  2. Cansu İris association football player 1999–
  3. Haydar Doruk Iris researcher 1980–
  4. Merve İris researcher
  5. Donnie Iris singer 1943–2026
  6. Esperanza Iris film actor 1888–1962

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

Is İris also a first name?

Yes. İris is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “iris; rainbow”.

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

How is İris written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey the name is often written Iris.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: iris accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: İris 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 İris

Q1

What does the surname İris mean?

İris is the coloured part of the eye and also the iris flower. Nişanyan Sözlük traces the word through French iris to Ancient Greek íris ‘rainbow’. It is also a female given name; Nişanyan Adlar notes that, by general agreement, the name derives from the Greek word for ‘rainbow’.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname İris?

The root word of İris is iris (European): “iris of the eye; iris flower”.
Q3

How do you pronounce İris?

İ·ris, 2 syllables; IPA: /iˈɾis/.