Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,368

Ökem

Ökem /œˈcem/ ASCII Okem

“judgement, wisdom”1

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
1934 coinage
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Ö
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6Abroad
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Ökem?

Ökem

IPA /œˈcem/

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

What does the surname Ökem mean?

Ökem is a word proposed during the Language Reform to replace Ottoman muhakeme “judgement” and hikmet “wisdom”. The surname takes up this coinage.1

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

What is Ökem made of?

Ökem is a single Turkic root: ökem (ökem: proposed word for judgement, wisdom).

Ökem root ökem ökem: proposed word forjudgement, wisdom TURKIC ökem “judgement; wisdom” Ökem ökem root ökem: proposed word for judgement,wisdom ökem TURKIC “judgement; wisdom”
Ökem: parts and root words
  • ökem Turkic — judgement; wisdom1

How was the name Ökem formed?

Ökem is the word ökem (“ökem: proposed word for judgement, wisdom”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Who are some well-known people named Ökem?

  1. Kemal Ökem politician 1967–

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

How is Ökem written and pronounced abroad?

In English-language records ö becomes o or oe, giving Okem.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: ökem accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Ökem

Q1

What does the surname Ökem mean?

Ökem is a word proposed during the Language Reform to replace Ottoman muhakeme “judgement” and hikmet “wisdom”. The surname takes up this coinage.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Ökem?

The root word of Ökem is ökem (Turkic): “judgement; wisdom”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Ökem?

Ö·kem, 2 syllables; IPA: /œˈcem/.