Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,191

Köstendil

Köstendil /cøstenˈdil/ ASCII Kostendil

“the town of Kyustendil (Bulgaria)”1

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

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Letters / syllables
9 / 3
Formation
Place name
Vowel harmony
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Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Köstendil?

Köstendil

IPA /cøstenˈdil/

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

What does the surname Köstendil mean?

Köstendil is the Ottoman name of Kyustendil, a town now in Bulgaria and once the seat of an Ottoman sanjak. It is made of Kösten, the Turkified name of the 14th-century Serbian lord Konstantin Dragaš, and Turkish il “land, province”.1

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

What is Köstendil made of?

Köstendil is a single Turkic root: köstendil (Köstendil: Ottoman name of Kyustendil, Bulgaria; “land of Konstantin”).

Köstendil root köstendil Köstendil: Ottoman nameof Kyustendil, Bulgaria;… TURKIC Köstendil “Ottoman name ofKyustendil, Bulgaria;…” Köstendil köstendil root Köstendil: Ottoman name of Kyustendil,Bulgaria; “land of Konstantin” Köstendil TURKIC “Ottoman name of Kyustendil,Bulgaria; ‘land of Konstantin’”
Köstendil: parts and root words
  • Köstendil Turkic — Ottoman name of Kyustendil, Bulgaria; “land of Konstantin”1

How was the name Köstendil formed?

Köstendil comes from a place name: köstendil (“Köstendil: Ottoman name of Kyustendil, Bulgaria; “land of Konstantin””).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

How is Köstendil written and pronounced abroad?

In records without Turkish letters the name usually appears as Kostendil.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Köstendil?

Burgaz, Anapa and Bursa share gloss keywords with Köstendil within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Köstendil?

Read the root, formation and register information for Köstendil alongside these guides: How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames and How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Kyustendil accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Sanjak of Kyustendil accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Köstendil

Q1

What does the surname Köstendil mean?

Köstendil is the Ottoman name of Kyustendil, a town now in Bulgaria and once the seat of an Ottoman sanjak. It is made of Kösten, the Turkified name of the 14th-century Serbian lord Konstantin Dragaš, and Turkish il “land, province”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Köstendil?

The root word of Köstendil is Köstendil (Turkic): ‘Ottoman name of Kyustendil, Bulgaria; “land of Konstantin”’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Köstendil?

Kös·ten·dil, 3 syllables; IPA: /cøstenˈdil/.