Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,571

Kansu

Kansu /kanˈsu/

“the name Kanşav; Mamluk sultan Qansuh”1

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

How do you pronounce Kansu?

Kansu

IPA /kanˈsu/

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

What does the surname Kansu mean?

Kansu is the Turkicised form of the name Kanşav, which comes from East Circassian (Kabardian) Qanshawe. Historically it is best known as the name of the Mamluk sultan Kansu Gavri (Qansuh al-Ghuri), defeated by Selim I at Marj Dabiq in 1516. A popular explanation from kan “blood” and su “water” is not supported by the sources.1

What is Kansu made of?

Kansu is a single root: Kansu (Turkicised form of the Circassian name Qanshawe).

Kansu root Kansu Turkicised form of theCircassian name Qanshawe OTHER Kansu “Turkicised form ofKanşav; East Circassian…” Kansu Kansu root Turkicised form of the Circassian nameQanshawe Kansu OTHER “Turkicised form of Kanşav; EastCircassian (Kabardian) Qanshawe”
Kansu: parts and root words
  • Kansu Other — Turkicised form of Kanşav; East Circassian (Kabardian) Qanshawe1

How was the name Kansu formed?

Kansu is the word Kansu (“Turkicised form of the Circassian name Qanshawe”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Kansu?

  1. Gözde Kansu film actor 1980–
  2. Ceyhun Atuf Kansu poet 1919–1978
  3. Mazhar Müfit Kansu politician 1872–1948
  4. Şevket Aziz Kansu archaeologist 1903–1983
  5. Işık Kansu journalist 1956–
  6. Nafi Atuf Kansu politician 1890–1949
  7. Emin Kansu physician 1947–
  8. Hüseyin Kansu statesperson 1950–

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

Is Kansu also a first name?

Yes. Kansu is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the name Kanşav; Mamluk sultan Qansuh”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Kansu accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Kansu 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Kansu

Q1

What does the surname Kansu mean?

Kansu is the Turkicised form of the name Kanşav, which comes from East Circassian (Kabardian) Qanshawe. Historically it is best known as the name of the Mamluk sultan Kansu Gavri (Qansuh al-Ghuri), defeated by Selim I at Marj Dabiq in 1516. A popular explanation from kan “blood” and su “water” is not supported by the sources.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kansu?

The root word of Kansu is Kansu (another language): “Turkicised form of Kanşav; East Circassian (Kabardian) Qanshawe”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kansu?

Kan·su, 2 syllables; IPA: /kanˈsu/.