Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,110

Kotan

Kotan /koˈtan/

“plough”1

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

How do you pronounce Kotan?

Kotan

IPA /koˈtan/

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

What does the surname Kotan mean?

A kotan is a heavy plough that turns the soil deeply; in Anatolia the name was given to the large plough drawn by several pairs of oxen. According to Wiktionary the word came via Ottoman Turkish from Armenian gutan “plough”; Azerbaijani uses the same form kotan. The surname carries the name of this basic farming tool.1

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

Kotan is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kotan made of?

Kotan is a single root: kotan (heavy plough).

Kotan root kotan heavy plough ARMENIAN kotan “plough; Armenian gutan” Kotan kotan root heavy plough kotan ARMENIAN “plough; Armenian gutan”
Kotan: parts and root words
  • kotan Armenian — plough; Armenian gutan1

How was the name Kotan formed?

Kotan belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Kotan?

  1. Fatma Kotan politician 1970–
  2. Orhan Kotan politician 1944–
  3. Rıza Kotan politician 1890–1951
  4. Nafiz Kotan philanthropist 1887–1946
  5. Bilge Nesibe Kotan journalist
  6. Emrah Kotan musician
  7. Eray Kotan association football player 2005–
  8. Hüsna Kotan researcher

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

Is Kotan also a first name?

Yes. Kotan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “plough”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kotan 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
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Kotan

Q1

What does the surname Kotan mean?

A kotan is a heavy plough that turns the soil deeply; in Anatolia the name was given to the large plough drawn by several pairs of oxen. According to Wiktionary the word came via Ottoman Turkish from Armenian gutan “plough”; Azerbaijani uses the same form kotan. The surname carries the name of this basic farming tool.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kotan?

The root word of Kotan is kotan (Armenian): “plough; Armenian gutan”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kotan?

Ko·tan, 2 syllables; IPA: /koˈtan/.