Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,104

Levent

Levent /leˈvent/

“Ottoman marine; tall, handsome”1

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

How do you pronounce Levent?

Levent

IPA /leˈvent/

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

What does the surname Levent mean?

Levent was the name of a class of soldiers serving in the Ottoman navy and on its coasts; the word comes from Persian lavand. Over time it came to mean “swaggering, brave fellow” and, figuratively, “tall, handsome young man”. Today it is a common male name, and the Levent district of Istanbul takes its name from these soldiers.1

Levent is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Levent made of?

Levent is a single Persian root: levent (Ottoman marine; tall, handsome).

Levent root levent Ottoman marine; tall,handsome PERSIAN levent “Ottoman naval soldier;tall; handsome; Persian…” Levent levent root Ottoman marine; tall, handsome levent PERSIAN “Ottoman naval soldier; tall;handsome; Persian lavand”
Levent: parts and root words
  • levent Persian — Ottoman naval soldier; tall; handsome; Persian lavand1

How was the name Levent formed?

Levent is the word levent (“Ottoman marine; tall, handsome”), 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 Levent?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Levendoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Levent?

  1. Haluk Levent singer 1968–
  2. Tamer Levent film actor 1950–
  3. Nuray Levent weightlifter 2000–
  4. Agah Sırrı Levent politician 1894–1978
  5. Ali Rıza Levent politician 1893–1974
  6. Necdet Levent composer 1923–
  7. Seynan Levent translator 1953–
  8. Gizem Levent researcher

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

Is Levent also a first name?

Yes. Levent is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Ottoman marine; tall, handsome”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: levent accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: levent accessed 8 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 Levent

Q1

What does the surname Levent mean?

Levent was the name of a class of soldiers serving in the Ottoman navy and on its coasts; the word comes from Persian lavand. Over time it came to mean “swaggering, brave fellow” and, figuratively, “tall, handsome young man”. Today it is a common male name, and the Levent district of Istanbul takes its name from these soldiers.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Levent?

The root word of Levent is levent (Persian): “Ottoman naval soldier; tall; handsome; Persian lavand”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Levent?

Le·vent, 2 syllables; IPA: /leˈvent/.