Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,237

Kuru

Kuru /kuˈɾu/

“dry; lean”1

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

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Adjective
Vowel harmony
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Initial
K
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How do you pronounce Kuru?

Kuru

IPA /kuˈɾu/

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

What does the surname Kuru mean?

Kuru is an old Turkic word whose basic meaning is “dry, without moisture”. Of a person it also means “thin, lean”: kuru bir adam, “a lean man”. The surname most likely goes back to such a nickname for an ancestor.1

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

Kuru is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Kuru made of?

Kuru is a single Turkic root: kuru (kuru: dry; thin, lean).

Kuru root kuru kuru: dry; thin, lean TURKIC kuru “dry; lean; Proto-Turkic*kūrug” Kuru kuru root kuru: dry; thin, lean kuru TURKIC “dry; lean; Proto-Turkic *kūrug”
Kuru: parts and root words
  • kuru Turkic — dry; lean; Proto-Turkic *kūrug1

How was the name Kuru formed?

Kuru is the adjective kuru (“kuru: dry; thin, lean”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Which surnames are related to Kuru?

Kuru Kuruoğlu Kuruçay Kurukalıp Kuruçuk Kurumuş
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Kuruoğlu same root – –
02 Kuruçay same root – –
03 Kurukalıp same root – –
04 Kuruçuk same root – –
05 Kurumuş same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Kuru?

  1. Ahmet Kuru association football player 1982–
  2. Ayşe Kuru association football player 1974–
  3. Büşra Kuru association football player 2001–
  4. Salih Kuru military personnel 1906–2012
  5. Atilla Kuru chess player 2011–
  6. Burcu Bükem Kuru opera singer 2000–
  7. Ahmet Kuru university teacher 1972–
  8. Ali Kuru researcher

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Kuru?

Kuruoğlu, İnceköse and Kurukalıp share gloss keywords with Kuru within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Kuru?

Read the root, formation and register information for Kuru alongside this guide: How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: kuru
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: kuru
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Kuru

Q1

What does the surname Kuru mean?

Kuru is an old Turkic word whose basic meaning is “dry, without moisture”. Of a person it also means “thin, lean”: kuru bir adam, “a lean man”. The surname most likely goes back to such a nickname for an ancestor.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Kuru?

The root word of Kuru is kuru (Turkic): “dry; lean; Proto-Turkic *kūrug”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Kuru?

Ku·ru, 2 syllables; IPA: /kuˈɾu/.