Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,174

Mete

Mete /meˈte/

“name of the Xiongnu ruler Mete Han”1

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
M
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 Mete?

Mete

IPA /meˈte/

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

What does the surname Mete mean?

Mete is the established Turkish reading of the name of the ruler who built up the Xiongnu (Hun) state in the 3rd–2nd centuries BC. The name survives only in Chinese script (冒頓, read today as Modu or Modun); its original form and meaning are not known for certain. It spread as a male given name in the Republican era.1

That Mete goes back to 冒頓 (Modun) is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.

What is Mete made of?

Mete is a single root: Mete (Turkish reading of the Xiongnu ruler’s name).

Mete root Mete Turkish reading of theXiongnu ruler’s name OTHER 冒頓 (Modun) “name of the Xiongnuruler in Chinese sources” Mete Mete root Turkish reading of the Xiongnu ruler’sname 冒頓 (Modun) OTHER “name of the Xiongnu ruler inChinese sources”
Mete: parts and root words
  • 冒頓 (Modun) Other — name of the Xiongnu ruler in Chinese sources1

How was the name Mete formed?

Mete is the word Mete (“Turkish reading of the Xiongnu ruler’s name”), 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 Mete?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Metehan same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Mete?

  1. Mattias Mete association football player 1987–
  2. Ali Buhara Mete actor 1983–
  3. Cüneyt Mete actor 1970–
  4. Ömer Lütfi Mete screenwriter 1950–2009
  5. Alper Mete association football player 1998–
  6. Beyzanur Mete film actor 1995–
  7. Gökhan Mete actor 1945–
  8. Kadem Mete statesperson 1967–

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

Is Mete also a first name?

Yes. Mete is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “name of the Xiongnu ruler Mete Han”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Mete (ad) accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Mete 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 Mete

Q1

What does the surname Mete mean?

Mete is the established Turkish reading of the name of the ruler who built up the Xiongnu (Hun) state in the 3rd–2nd centuries BC. The name survives only in Chinese script (冒頓, read today as Modu or Modun); its original form and meaning are not known for certain. It spread as a male given name in the Republican era.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Mete?

The root word of Mete is 冒頓 (Modun) (another language): “name of the Xiongnu ruler in Chinese sources”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Mete?

Me·te, 2 syllables; IPA: /meˈte/.