Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,539

Kalfa

Kalfa /kaɫˈfa/

“journeyman”1

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

How do you pronounce Kalfa?

Kalfa

IPA /kaɫˈfa/

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

What does the surname Kalfa mean?

A kalfa is a journeyman, someone who has learned a trade and works under a master; in the guild order the rank came after apprentice and before master. The word comes from Arabic ḵalīfa, “successor, deputy”; according to Nişanyan, its pronunciation diverged from halife because of that word’s special meaning.1

Kalfa is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kalfa made of?

Kalfa is a single Arabic root: kalfa (journeyman).

Kalfa root kalfa journeyman ARABIC kalfa “journeyman (Arabicḵalīfa ‘successor,…’” Kalfa kalfa root journeyman kalfa ARABIC “journeyman (Arabic ḵalīfa‘successor, deputy’)”
Kalfa: parts and root words
  • kalfa Arabic — journeyman (Arabic ḵalīfa “successor, deputy”)1

How was the name Kalfa formed?

Kalfa is the word kalfa (“journeyman”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Kalfa?

  1. Serkis Kalfa architect 1650–1740
  2. Burak Kalfa Australian rules football player

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kalfa accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kalfa accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kalfa 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

Common questions about Kalfa

Q1

What does the surname Kalfa mean?

A kalfa is a journeyman, someone who has learned a trade and works under a master; in the guild order the rank came after apprentice and before master. The word comes from Arabic ḵalīfa, “successor, deputy”; according to Nişanyan, its pronunciation diverged from halife because of that word’s special meaning.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kalfa?

The root word of Kalfa is kalfa (Arabic): ‘journeyman (Arabic ḵalīfa “successor, deputy”)’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kalfa?

Kal·fa, 2 syllables; IPA: /kaɫˈfa/.