Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,382

Öncel

Öncel /ønˈdʒel/ ASCII Oncel

“predecessor, forerunner”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Ö
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 Öncel?

Öncel

IPA /ønˈdʒel/

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

What does the surname Öncel mean?

Öncel is the word for “predecessor”, someone who held a post before you; in the plural it means “those who lived before us”, the forebears. It is derived from ön “front”, and as a male given name it carries the sense “first, foremost”.1

Grammar ön + -cel; a derivation that spread in the language-reform period.

Öncel is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Öncel made of?

Öncel is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: ön (ön: front, preceding) + -cel (derivational suffix).

Öncel ++ root ön ön: front, preceding TURKIC öncel “predecessor; those wholived before us” suffix -cel derivational suffix TURKIC Öncel “male given name meaning‘first, primary’” Öncel ön root ön: front, preceding öncel TURKIC “predecessor; those who livedbefore us” -cel suffix derivational suffix Öncel TURKIC “male given name meaning ‘first,primary’”
Öncel: parts and root words
  • öncel Turkic — predecessor; those who lived before us1
  • Öncel Turkic — male given name meaning “first, primary”1

How was the name Öncel formed?

Öncel was formed by adding the suffix -cel (“derivational suffix”) to ön (“ön: front, preceding”).

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

Who are some well-known people named Öncel?

  1. Nazan Öncel singer 1956–
  2. Fuat Necati Öncel politician 1940–
  3. Rıdvan Öncel basketball player 1997–
  4. Emin Öncel athletics competitor 1997–
  5. Abdulkadir Öncel politician 1941–
  6. Aziz Bülent Öncel politician 1944–
  7. Celal Öncel politician 1919–1986
  8. Feridun Öncel businessperson 1954–

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

Is Öncel also a first name?

Yes. Öncel is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “predecessor, forerunner”.

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

How is Öncel written and pronounced abroad?

Passports and English-language documents often show it as Oncel.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: öncel accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Öncel 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 Öncel

Q1

What does the surname Öncel mean?

Öncel is the word for “predecessor”, someone who held a post before you; in the plural it means “those who lived before us”, the forebears. It is derived from ön “front”, and as a male given name it carries the sense “first, foremost”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Öncel?

The root word of Öncel is öncel (Turkic): “predecessor; those who lived before us”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Öncel?

Ön·cel, 2 syllables; IPA: /ønˈdʒel/.