Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,274

Nuri

Nuri /nuːˈɾi/

“luminous (given name)”1

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

How do you pronounce Nuri?

Nuri

IPA /nuːˈɾi/

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

What does the surname Nuri mean?

Nuri is a man’s name derived from Arabic nūr, “light, radiance”, and means “luminous, radiant”. It has been a common name in Türkiye since Ottoman times. The surname carries on an ancestor’s first name as the family name.1

What is Nuri made of?

Nuri is a single Arabic root: Nuri (Nuri: Arabic nūrī “of light, luminous”).

Nuri root Nuri Nuri: Arabic nūrī “oflight, luminous” ARABIC nūrī “from nūr ‘light’:luminous, radiant” Nuri Nuri root Nuri: Arabic nūrī “of light, luminous” nūrī ARABIC “from nūr ‘light’: luminous,radiant”
Nuri: parts and root words
  • nūrī Arabic — from nūr “light”: luminous, radiant1

How was the name Nuri formed?

Nuri is the word Nuri (“Nuri: Arabic nūrī “of light, luminous””), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Nuri?

  1. İhsan Nuri politician 1892–1976
  2. Medeni Mehmet Nuri statesperson 1859–1927
  3. Osman Nuri journalist 1881–1948
  4. Süleyman Nuri civil servant 1895–1966
  5. Ali Nuri diplomat 1861–1931
  6. Jack Nuri actor 1972–
  7. Hahutzade Ahmet Nuri Efendi politician 1887–
  8. Seyyid Mustafa Nuri Efendi statesperson 1846–

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

Is Nuri also a first name?

Yes. Nuri is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “luminous (given name)”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Nuri accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Nuri 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 Nuri

Q1

What does the surname Nuri mean?

Nuri is a man’s name derived from Arabic nūr, “light, radiance”, and means “luminous, radiant”. It has been a common name in Türkiye since Ottoman times. The surname carries on an ancestor’s first name as the family name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Nuri?

The root word of Nuri is nūrī (Arabic): ‘from nūr “light”: luminous, radiant’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Nuri?

Nu·ri, 2 syllables; IPA: /nuːˈɾi/.