Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,017

Kırcalı

Kırcalı /kɯɾdʒaˈɫɯ/ ASCII Kircali

“old name of Kırcaali (Kardzhali)”1

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

How do you pronounce Kırcalı?

Kırcalı

IPA /kɯɾdʒaˈɫɯ/

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

What does the surname Kırcalı mean?

Kırcalı is the name found in old records for the town of Kırcaali (Kardzhali), today in Bulgaria. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam the place was recorded as Kırca in 1482 and as Kırcalı in 1530, and was later sometimes written Kırca Ali. The story linking the name to the tomb of a commander called Kırca Ali is reported by the encyclopedia as a local legend; the earliest record has the form Kırca, and no source explains where that name comes from.1

Grammar Kırca + -lı: place name.

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

What is Kırcalı made of?

Kırcalı breaks into 2 parts: Kırca (old village name (1482 record)) + -lı (from; having).

Kırcalı + root Kırca old village name (1482record) UNKNOWN Kırcalı “1530 recorded name oftoday’s Kırcaali…” suffix -lı from; having Kırcalı Kırca root old village name (1482 record) Kırcalı UNKNOWN “1530 recorded name of today’sKırcaali (Kardzhali)” -lı suffix from; having
Kırcalı: parts and root words
  • Kırcalı unknown — 1530 recorded name of today’s Kırcaali (Kardzhali)1

How was the name Kırcalı formed?

Kırcalı belongs to the “place name” class of surnames (Kırca + -lı).

Who are some well-known people named Kırcalı?

  1. Orhan Kırcalı politician 1968–
  2. Mustafa Kırcalı basketball player 1996–
  3. Süleyman Sırrı Kırcalı statesperson 1927–2013
  4. Doğan Kırcalı researcher
  5. Tugay Kırcalı association football player

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

How is Kırcalı written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey the name is often written Kircali.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 islamansiklopedisi.org.tr islamansiklopedisi.org.tr: kircaali accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Kırcalı

Q1

What does the surname Kırcalı mean?

Kırcalı is the name found in old records for the town of Kırcaali (Kardzhali), today in Bulgaria. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam the place was recorded as Kırca in 1482 and as Kırcalı in 1530, and was later sometimes written Kırca Ali. The story linking the name to the tomb of a commander called Kırca Ali is reported by the encyclopedia as a local legend; the earliest record has the form Kırca, and no source explains where that name comes from.
Q2

How do you pronounce Kırcalı?

Kır·ca·lı, 3 syllables; IPA: /kɯɾdʒaˈɫɯ/.