Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,880

Kavalcı

Kavalcı /kavaɫˈd͡ʒɯ/ ASCII Kavalci

“kaval player or maker”1

Established origin Kavalcı: root entries for kaval · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
7 / 3
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
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Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Kavalcı?

Kavalcı

IPA /kavaɫˈd͡ʒɯ/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Kavalcı mean?

A kavalcı is someone who plays or makes the kaval, the long, soft-toned flute played by shepherds across the Balkans and Anatolia. The word came through Ottoman Turkish from Arabic qawwāl, “talkative”.1

Grammar kaval + -cı (agent suffix).

What is Kavalcı made of?

Kavalcı is Arabic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: kaval (kaval, shepherd’s flute) + -cı (agent suffix).

Kavalcı + root kaval kaval, shepherd’s flute ARABIC kaval “end-blown flute playedby shepherds” suffix -cı agent suffix Kavalcı kaval root kaval, shepherd’s flute kaval ARABIC “end-blown flute played byshepherds” -cı suffix agent suffix
Kavalcı: parts and root words
  • kaval Arabic — end-blown flute played by shepherds1

How was the name Kavalcı formed?

Kavalcı was formed by adding the suffix -cı (“agent suffix”) to kaval (“kaval, shepherd’s flute”).

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

Who are some well-known people named Kavalcı?

  1. Recep Kavalcı poet 1845–
  2. Cemal Kavalcı association football player
  3. Cemal Metehan Kavalcı association football player
  4. Cemil Kavalcı researcher

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

How is Kavalcı written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey Kavalcı is usually written Kavalci.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Kavalcı?

Borazancı, Cura and Davulcu share gloss keywords with Kavalcı within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Kavalcı?

Read the root, formation and register information for Kavalcı alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kaval
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kaval
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kaval
  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 Kavalcı

Q1

What does the surname Kavalcı mean?

A kavalcı is someone who plays or makes the kaval, the long, soft-toned flute played by shepherds across the Balkans and Anatolia. The word came through Ottoman Turkish from Arabic qawwāl, “talkative”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kavalcı?

The root word of Kavalcı is kaval (Arabic): “end-blown flute played by shepherds”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kavalcı?

Ka·val·cı, 3 syllables; IPA: /kavaɫˈd͡ʒɯ/.