Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,301

Oktay

Oktay /okˈtaj/

“Turkish form of Ögedei”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
O
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 Oktay?

Oktay

IPA /okˈtaj/

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

What does the surname Oktay mean?

Oktay is the Turkicised form of the name of Ögedei, the Mongol khagan who was Genghis Khan’s son and successor. Nişanyan’s dictionary of names traces it to Middle Mongolian. In Türkiye it is used as a male given name and a surname.1

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. According to Nişanyan’s dictionary of names, Oktay comes from Middle Mongolian Ögedei.
  2. A popular explanation splits it as ok + tay, “colt swift as an arrow”; this is not supported by the dictionaries.

What is Oktay made of?

Oktay is a single Mongolic root: Oktay (Oktay: Turkish form of the Mongolian name Ögedei).

Oktay root Oktay Oktay: Turkish form ofthe Mongolian name Ögedei MONGOLIC Ögedey “name of the Mongolkhagan who was Genghis…” Oktay Oktay root Oktay: Turkish form of the Mongolianname Ögedei Ögedey MONGOLIC “name of the Mongol khagan whowas Genghis Khan’s son and…”
Oktay: parts and root words
  • Ögedey Mongolic — name of the Mongol khagan who was Genghis Khan’s son and successor1

How was the name Oktay formed?

Oktay is the word Oktay (“Oktay: Turkish form of the Mongolian name Ögedei”), 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 Oktay?

  1. Fuat Oktay politician 1964–
  2. Metin Oktay association football player 1936–1991
  3. Berk Oktay actor 1982–
  4. Muhayer Oktay association football player 1999–
  5. Süleyman Oktay association football player 1959–
  6. Ahmet Oktay writer 1933–2016
  7. Esat Oktay politician 1885–1972
  8. Fikret Oktay military officer 1925–

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

Is Oktay also a first name?

Yes. Oktay is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “Turkish form of Ögedei”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Oktay accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Oktay 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 Oktay

Q1

What does the surname Oktay mean?

Oktay is the Turkicised form of the name of Ögedei, the Mongol khagan who was Genghis Khan’s son and successor. Nişanyan’s dictionary of names traces it to Middle Mongolian. In Türkiye it is used as a male given name and a surname.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Oktay?

The root word of Oktay is Ögedey (Mongolic): “name of the Mongol khagan who was Genghis Khan’s son and successor”. There are 3 competing views on where Oktay comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Oktay?

Ok·tay, 2 syllables; IPA: /okˈtaj/.