Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,259

Necef

Necef /neˈdʒef/

“Najaf (city in Iraq)”2

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

How do you pronounce Necef?

Necef

IPA /neˈdʒef/

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

What does the surname Necef mean?

Necef is the Turkish form of an-Najaf, a city in Iraq west of the Euphrates. The same name has also been used as a male given name in Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The surname is this place name or the personal name taken from it.2

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

What is Necef made of?

Necef is a single Arabic root: Necef (city in Iraq; male name).

Necef root Necef city in Iraq; male name ARABIC Necef “city in Iraq; also amale name” Necef Necef root city in Iraq; male name Necef ARABIC “city in Iraq; also a male name”
Necef: parts and root words
  • Necef Arabic — city in Iraq; also a male name2

How was the name Necef formed?

Necef comes from a place name: Necef (“city in Iraq; male name”).

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

Who are some well-known people named Necef?

  1. Mehmet Ümit Necef researcher 1952–

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

Is Necef also a first name?

Yes. Necef is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Najaf (city in Iraq)”.

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

How is Necef written and pronounced abroad?

The name has no Turkish-specific letters and is written Necef abroad as well.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wikidata: Q50040903 accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Necef accessed 9 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 Necef

Q1

What does the surname Necef mean?

Necef is the Turkish form of an-Najaf, a city in Iraq west of the Euphrates. The same name has also been used as a male given name in Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The surname is this place name or the personal name taken from it.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Necef?

The root word of Necef is Necef (Arabic): “city in Iraq; also a male name”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Necef?

Ne·cef, 2 syllables; IPA: /neˈdʒef/.