Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,521

Kala

Kala /kaˈɫa/

“fortress”1

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

How do you pronounce Kala?

Kala

IPA /kaˈɫa/

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

What does the surname Kala mean?

Most probably the older and dialect pronunciation of kale “fortress”, close to Ottoman kalʿa, a form also found in many place names. Kale comes from Arabic qalʿa “fortress”. Turkish also has the time particle “kala” (saat beşe on kala, “ten to five”), which seems unrelated to the name.1

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

What is Kala made of?

Kala is a single Arabic root: kala (kala: older and dialect pronunciation of kale “fortress”).

Kala root kala kala: older and dialectpronunciation of kale… ARABIC kale “Arabic qalʿa ‘fortress’” Kala kala root kala: older and dialect pronunciationof kale “fortress” kale ARABIC “Arabic qalʿa ‘fortress’”
Kala: parts and root words
  • kale Arabic — Arabic qalʿa “fortress”1

How was the name Kala formed?

Kala is the word kala (“kala: older and dialect pronunciation of kale “fortress””), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Which surnames are related to Kala?

Kala Kaleli Kalelioğlu Kale Akkale Kaleci Kalecik Kalecioğlu Türkkalesi
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Kaleli same root – –
02 Kalelioğlu same root – –
03 Kale same root – –
04 Akkale same root – –
05 Kaleci same root – –
06 Kalecik same root – –
07 Kalecioğlu same root – –
08 Türkkalesi same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Kala?

  1. Hüseyin Kala association football player 1987–

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

How is Kala written and pronounced abroad?

The name has no Turkish-specific letters and is written Kala abroad as well.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kale accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kala accessed 9 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

Common questions about Kala

Q1

What does the surname Kala mean?

Most probably the older and dialect pronunciation of kale “fortress”, close to Ottoman kalʿa, a form also found in many place names. Kale comes from Arabic qalʿa “fortress”. Turkish also has the time particle “kala” (saat beşe on kala, “ten to five”), which seems unrelated to the name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kala?

The root word of Kala is kale (Arabic): ‘Arabic qalʿa “fortress”’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kala?

Ka·la, 2 syllables; IPA: /kaˈɫa/.