Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,947

Kendir

Kendir /kenˈdiɾ/

“hemp”1

Disputed origin Kendir: root entries for kendir · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
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Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Kendir?

Kendir

IPA /kenˈdiɾ/

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

What does the surname Kendir mean?

Kendir is hemp, the plant whose fibre is made into rope, sacks and coarse cloth. Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Turkic *kendir; Nişanyan suggests a possible borrowing from Sanskrit gāndhāra, noting that this is uncertain.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. The word is native Turkic (Proto-Turkic *kendir).
  2. According to Nişanyan it may be borrowed from Sanskrit gāndhāra; this is uncertain.

Kendir is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kendir made of?

Kendir is a single Turkic root: kendir (kendir: hemp).

Kendir root kendir kendir: hemp TURKIC kendir “hemp; hemp fibre” Kendir kendir root kendir: hemp kendir TURKIC “hemp; hemp fibre”
Kendir: parts and root words
  • kendir Turkic — hemp; hemp fibre1

How was the name Kendir formed?

Kendir is the word kendir (“kendir: hemp”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Which surnames are related to Kendir?

Kendir Kendirci Kendirli
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Kendirci same root – –
02 Kendirli same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Kendir?

  1. Ahmet Kendir soldier 1963–

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

How is Kendir written and pronounced abroad?

The name has no Turkish-specific letters and is written Kendir abroad as well.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Kendir?

Kendirci shares gloss keywords with Kendir within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Kendir?

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kendir accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kendir accessed 9 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

Common questions about Kendir

Q1

What does the surname Kendir mean?

Kendir is hemp, the plant whose fibre is made into rope, sacks and coarse cloth. Wiktionary traces it to Proto-Turkic *kendir; Nişanyan suggests a possible borrowing from Sanskrit gāndhāra, noting that this is uncertain.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kendir?

The root word of Kendir is kendir (Turkic): “hemp; hemp fibre”. There are 3 competing views on where Kendir comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kendir?

Ken·dir, 2 syllables; IPA: /kenˈdiɾ/.