SURNAMEEntry 2,456
Özbek
“Uzbek; one’s own lord”2
- CategoryOghuz and historical Turkic tribe names
- OriginTurkic
- FormPlain noun
- Letters / syllables
- 5 / 2
- Formation
- Plain noun
- Vowel harmony
- front
Contents§1–§11
How do you pronounce Özbek?
The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.
What does the surname Özbek mean?
Özbek is the name of a Turkic people of Central Asia and also a historical personal name. Its spread as the name of a people is linked to the time of Özbeg Khan of the Golden Horde in the 14th century. The origin is debated: some read it as öz, “self”, plus bek, “lord”, meaning “one’s own lord, independent”; others link it to the name Oghuz Beg.2
The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:
- One view analyses the name as öz “self” + bek “lord”, meaning “master of oneself, independent”.
- Another view links it eponymously to Oghuz Khagan, also called Oghuz Beg.
Özbek is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.
What is Özbek made of?
Özbek is a single root: Özbek (Uzbek; historical personal name).
- Özbek Turkic — Uzbek; also a personal name2
How was the name Özbek formed?
Özbek belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.
Where in Türkiye is Özbek most common?
Özbek is outside the national top 30, but it appears in the top-30 list of 1 province; its best rank is 27th in Niğde.1
- In the province top 30 1
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Niğde | 27 | 1,388 |
Who are some well-known people named Özbek?
- Barış Özbek association football player 1986–
- Muhammed Furkan Özbek weightlifter 2001–
- Aysun Özbek volleyball player 1977–
- Dursun Özbek businessperson 1950–
- Rıfat Özbek fashion designer 1953–
- Mehmet Eray Özbek association football player 2003–
- Ufuk Özbek association football player 1992–
- Sabahattin Özbek politician 1915–2001
People surnamed Özbek as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Özbek also a first name?
Yes. Özbek is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: Uzbek; one’s own lord.
Özbek as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
How is Özbek written and pronounced abroad?
In passports and records outside Turkey Özbek is usually written Ozbek or Oezbek.
Where do these facts come from?
- 1 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Özbek
- 3 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Uzbeks
- 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759)
- 7 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 8 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Özbek
- Q1
What does the surname Özbek mean?
- Özbek is the name of a Turkic people of Central Asia and also a historical personal name. Its spread as the name of a people is linked to the time of Özbeg Khan of the Golden Horde in the 14th century. The origin is debated: some read it as öz, “self”, plus bek, “lord”, meaning “one’s own lord, independent”; others link it to the name Oghuz Beg.
- Q2
What is the origin of the surname Özbek?
- The root word of Özbek is Özbek (Turkic): “Uzbek; also a personal name”. There are 3 competing views on where Özbek comes from, all set out on this page.
- Q3
How do you pronounce Özbek?
- Öz·bek, 2 syllables; IPA: /øzˈbec/.