Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,540

Kalın

Kalın /kaˈɫɯn/ ASCII Kalin

“thick, dense”1

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

How do you pronounce Kalın?

Kalın

IPA /kaˈɫɯn/

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

What does the surname Kalın mean?

Kalın means ‘thick’, the opposite of ince; it is also used for ‘dense’, ‘plump’ and ‘bushy (eyebrows)’. According to Nişanyan it comes from Old Turkic kalın ‘numerous, crowded, dense’; Kashgari gives ḳalın sü ‘a large army’. In popular usage kalın also denotes the bride price paid to the bride's family.1

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

Kalın is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kalın made of?

Kalın is a single Turkic root: kalın (kalın: thick; dense).

Kalın root kalın kalın: thick; dense TURKIC kalın “numerous, dense” Kalın kalın root kalın: thick; dense kalın TURKIC “numerous, dense”
Kalın: parts and root words
  • kalın Turkic — numerous, dense1

How was the name Kalın formed?

Kalın is the adjective kalın (“kalın: thick; dense”), 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 Kalın?

  1. İbrahim Kalın musician 1971–

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

How is Kalın written and pronounced abroad?

In foreign records the name often appears as Kalin.

Where do these facts come from?

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

Q1

What does the surname Kalın mean?

Kalın means ‘thick’, the opposite of ince; it is also used for ‘dense’, ‘plump’ and ‘bushy (eyebrows)’. According to Nişanyan it comes from Old Turkic kalın ‘numerous, crowded, dense’; Kashgari gives ḳalın sü ‘a large army’. In popular usage kalın also denotes the bride price paid to the bride's family.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kalın?

The root word of Kalın is kalın (Turkic): “numerous, dense”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kalın?

Ka·lın, 2 syllables; IPA: /kaˈɫɯn/.