Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,875

Kavak

Kavak /kaˈvak/

“poplar tree”1

Established origin Kavak: root entries for kavak · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
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Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Kavak?

Kavak

IPA /kaˈvak/

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

What does the surname Kavak mean?

Kavak is the poplar, a tall tree of the willow family that grows in damp places and can reach 30 to 40 metres; its timber is used in building. The word goes back to Old Turkic qabaq. Anatolia has a district and many villages called Kavak.1

Kavak is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kavak made of?

Kavak is a single Turkic root: kavak (poplar).

Kavak root kavak poplar TURKIC kavak “poplar; Old Turkic qabaq” Kavak kavak root poplar kavak TURKIC “poplar; Old Turkic qabaq”
Kavak: parts and root words
  • kavak Turkic — poplar; Old Turkic qabaq1

How was the name Kavak formed?

Kavak is the word kavak (“poplar”), 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 Kavak?

Kavak Kavaklı Kavakçı Kavaklıoğlu
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Kavaklı same root – –
02 Kavakçı same root – –
03 Kavaklıoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Kavak?

  1. Erhan Kavak association football player 1987–
  2. Ömer Kavak association football player 1988–
  3. Zehra Neşe Kavak academic 1962–
  4. Abdurrahman Kavak politician 1918–1978
  5. Mehmet Cavit Kavak politician 1949–
  6. Dilek Demirbüker Kavak researcher
  7. Safiye Kavak researcher
  8. Salih Burçin Kavak researcher

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Kavak?

Kavaklı, Selvi and Ağaç share gloss keywords with Kavak within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Kavak?

Read the root, formation and register information for Kavak alongside this guide: How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kavak
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kavak
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kavak
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Kavak

Q1

What does the surname Kavak mean?

Kavak is the poplar, a tall tree of the willow family that grows in damp places and can reach 30 to 40 metres; its timber is used in building. The word goes back to Old Turkic qabaq. Anatolia has a district and many villages called Kavak.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kavak?

The root word of Kavak is kavak (Turkic): “poplar; Old Turkic qabaq”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kavak?

Ka·vak, 2 syllables; IPA: /kaˈvak/.