Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,958

Kesen

Kesen /keˈsen/

“one who cuts”1

Probable origin Kesen: root entries for kesmek · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
From a verb
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Kesen?

Kesen

IPA /keˈsen/

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

What does the surname Kesen mean?

The name is the participle of kesmek ‘to cut’: ‘one who cuts’. Kesmek continues Old Turkic kes- ‘to cut, cross, stop’, according to Nişanyan. No source shows in what context the surname was given.1

Grammar kes- + -en (participle).

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

Kesen is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kesen made of?

Kesen is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: kes- (to cut) + -en (present participle).

Kesen + root kes- to cut TURKIC kesmek “to cut, cross, stop” suffix -en present participle Kesen kes- root to cut kesmek TURKIC “to cut, cross, stop” -en suffix present participle
Kesen: parts and root words
  • kesmek Turkic — to cut, cross, stop1

How was the name Kesen formed?

Kesen was formed by adding the suffix -en (“present participle”) to the verb stem kes- (“to cut”).

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

Which surnames are related to Kesen?

Kesen Keskin Keser Kesici Kesim Kesgin Taşkesenlioğlu
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Keskin same root – –
02 Keser same root – –
03 Kesici same root – –
04 Kesim same root – –
05 Kesgin same root – –
06 Taşkesenlioğlu same root – –
07 Sözkesen same root – –
08 Taşkesen same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Kesen?

  1. Nihat Kesen comics artist 1961–
  2. Nazmiye Dönmez Kesen researcher
  3. Selin Kesen basketball player 1996–

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Kesen?

İşigüzel, Başevirgen and Gezen share gloss keywords with Kesen within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Kesen?

Read the root, formation and register information for Kesen alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and 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: kes-
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kesen
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Kesen

Q1

What does the surname Kesen mean?

The name is the participle of kesmek ‘to cut’: ‘one who cuts’. Kesmek continues Old Turkic kes- ‘to cut, cross, stop’, according to Nişanyan. No source shows in what context the surname was given.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kesen?

The root word of Kesen is kesmek (Turkic): “to cut, cross, stop”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kesen?

Ke·sen, 2 syllables; IPA: /keˈsen/.