Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,467

İskender

İskender /isceɲˈdeɾ/ ASCII Iskender

“Alexander (given name)”1

Letters / syllables
8 / 3
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
İ
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Abroad
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce İskender?

İskender

IPA /isceɲˈdeɾ/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname İskender mean?

İskender is the form of the Greek name Alexandros that reached Turkish through Arabic and Persian; in Greek it is explained as “defender of men”. In Eastern literature the name is known through the legendary figure of Alexander the Great, and it became a common man’s name. Bursa’s İskender kebab is named after a cook who bore this name.1

What is İskender made of?

İskender is a single Greek root: İskender (İskender: Eastern form of the name Alexander).

İskender root İskender İskender: Eastern form ofthe name Alexander GREEK Aléxandros “Greek ‘defender of men’” İskender İskender root İskender: Eastern form of the nameAlexander Aléxandros GREEK “Greek ‘defender of men’”
İskender: parts and root words
  • Aléxandros Greek — Greek “defender of men”1

How was the name İskender formed?

İskender is the word İskender (“İskender: Eastern form of the name Alexander”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Which surnames are related to İskender?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 İskenderoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named İskender?

  1. Küçük İskender poet 1964–2019
  2. Agop İskender photographer 1871–1949
  3. Ali Kemal İskender actor 1940–2007
  4. Ufuk İskender association football player 1962–
  5. Cantekin Iskender researcher
  6. Kemal İskender painter 1949–
  7. Mahinur Durmus Iskender researcher
  8. Nurdan İskender painter 1981–2016

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

Is İskender also a first name?

Yes. İskender is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Alexander (given name)”.

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

How is İskender written and pronounced abroad?

Abroad the name is usually written Iskender, without the dot on the capital İ. Its equivalent in English is Alexander.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: İskender accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Ἀλέξανδρος accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: iskender 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 İskender

Q1

What does the surname İskender mean?

İskender is the form of the Greek name Alexandros that reached Turkish through Arabic and Persian; in Greek it is explained as “defender of men”. In Eastern literature the name is known through the legendary figure of Alexander the Great, and it became a common man’s name. Bursa’s İskender kebab is named after a cook who bore this name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname İskender?

The root word of İskender is Aléxandros (Greek): ‘Greek “defender of men”’.
Q3

How do you pronounce İskender?

İs·ken·der, 3 syllables; IPA: /isceɲˈdeɾ/.