Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,993

Kösem

Kösem /køˈsem/ ASCII Kosem

“bellwether, lead ram”2

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
K
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6As a first name
  7. §7Abroad
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce Kösem?

Kösem

IPA /køˈsem/

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

What does the surname Kösem mean?

A kösem or kösemen is the bellwether, the ram or billy goat that walks at the head of the flock and leads it. Figuratively it also means ‘leader’. The word is also known as the epithet of Kösem Sultan, an influential figure at the 17th-century Ottoman court.2

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

Kösem is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kösem made of?

Kösem is a single Turkic root: kösem (kösem: bellwether, lead ram).

Kösem root kösem kösem: bellwether, leadram TURKIC kösem “bellwether, the ram orbilly goat leading the…” Kösem kösem root kösem: bellwether, lead ram kösem TURKIC “bellwether, the ram or billygoat leading the flock”
Kösem: parts and root words
  • kösem Turkic — bellwether, the ram or billy goat leading the flock2

How was the name Kösem formed?

Kösem is the word kösem (“kösem: bellwether, lead ram”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Kösem?

  1. Sevim Kösem economist

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

Is Kösem also a first name?

Yes. Kösem is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “bellwether, lead ram”.

Kösem as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →

How is Kösem written and pronounced abroad?

Without Turkish letters the name is usually written Kosem in English-language records.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Kösem Sultan accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: kösem 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
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Kösem

Q1

What does the surname Kösem mean?

A kösem or kösemen is the bellwether, the ram or billy goat that walks at the head of the flock and leads it. Figuratively it also means ‘leader’. The word is also known as the epithet of Kösem Sultan, an influential figure at the 17th-century Ottoman court.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kösem?

The root word of Kösem is kösem (Turkic): “bellwether, the ram or billy goat leading the flock”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kösem?

Kö·sem, 2 syllables; IPA: /køˈsem/.