Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,150

Kubilay

Kubilay /kubiˈɫaj/

“name of Kublai Khan”1

Letters / syllables
7 / 3
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
mixed
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 Kubilay?

Kubilay

IPA /kubiˈɫaj/

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

What does the surname Kubilay mean?

Kubilay is the name of Kublai Khan (1215–1294), grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Yuan dynasty; it comes from Mongolian Qubilai. Nişanyan Adlar gives two readings: the verb qubil-, used in Buddhist tradition for ‘reincarnation, transformation’, or ‘shared, fortunate’. It adds that the name's use in Türkiye may also be linked to the reserve officer Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, killed in the Menemen incident of 1930.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Nişanyan Adlar: linked to Mongolian qubil- ‘to be reborn, transform’.
  2. Another reading cited by Nişanyan Adlar: qubilai means ‘shared, fortunate’.

What is Kubilay made of?

Kubilay is a single root: Kubilay (Kubilay < Mongolian Qubilai).

Kubilay root Kubilay Kubilay < MongolianQubilai MONGOLIC qubilai “Mongolian personal nameof debated meaning” Kubilay Kubilay root Kubilay < Mongolian Qubilai qubilai MONGOLIC “Mongolian personal name ofdebated meaning”
Kubilay: parts and root words
  • qubilai Mongolic — Mongolian personal name of debated meaning1

How was the name Kubilay formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Kubilay?

  1. Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay military personnel 1906–1930
  2. Ali Rıza Kubilay actor 1977–
  3. Eralp Kubilay researcher
  4. Zeynep Kubilay researcher

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

Is Kubilay also a first name?

Yes. Kubilay is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “name of Kublai Khan”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Kubilay 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 Kubilay

Q1

What does the surname Kubilay mean?

Kubilay is the name of Kublai Khan (1215–1294), grandson of Genghis Khan and founder of the Yuan dynasty; it comes from Mongolian Qubilai. Nişanyan Adlar gives two readings: the verb qubil-, used in Buddhist tradition for ‘reincarnation, transformation’, or ‘shared, fortunate’. It adds that the name's use in Türkiye may also be linked to the reserve officer Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, killed in the Menemen incident of 1930.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kubilay?

The root word of Kubilay is qubilai (Mongolic): “Mongolian personal name of debated meaning”. There are 3 competing views on where Kubilay comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kubilay?

Ku·bi·lay, 3 syllables; IPA: /kubiˈɫaj/.