Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,223

Mala

Mala /maˈɫa/

“trowel”2

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

How do you pronounce Mala?

Mala

IPA /maˈɫa/

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

What does the surname Mala mean?

Mala is the flat, usually triangular trowel used by plasterers and masons for spreading mortar. Nişanyan derives it from Persian māla ‘float, polishing tool, trowel’, from mālīdan ‘to rub, smear’.2

Mala is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Mala made of?

Mala is a single root: mala (trowel).

Mala root mala trowel PERSIAN mala “float, polishing tool,trowel” Mala mala root trowel mala PERSIAN “float, polishing tool, trowel”
Mala: parts and root words
  • mala Persian — float, polishing tool, trowel2

How was the name Mala formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Mala?

  1. Ege Mala basketball player 1994–
  2. Nihat Mala basketball player 1967–
  3. Lyubov Mala scientist 1919–2003
  4. Ray Mala actor 1906–1952

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: mala accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: mala 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 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Mala

Q1

What does the surname Mala mean?

Mala is the flat, usually triangular trowel used by plasterers and masons for spreading mortar. Nişanyan derives it from Persian māla ‘float, polishing tool, trowel’, from mālīdan ‘to rub, smear’.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Mala?

The root word of Mala is mala (Persian): “float, polishing tool, trowel”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Mala?

Ma·la, 2 syllables; IPA: /maˈɫa/.