Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,521

Özlem

Özlem /øzˈlem/ ASCII Ozlem

“longing”3

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Ö
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Abroad
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce Özlem?

Özlem

IPA /øzˈlem/

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

What does the surname Özlem mean?

Özlem is longing, the wish to see someone or something again; yearning. It is formed from the verb özle-, “to miss, long for”, with the suffix -m; Nişanyan’s dictionary derives özle- from öz, “self, inner being”. According to Nişanyan Adlar the word was proposed as a surname in 1935 and began to be heard as a girl’s name around 1940.1,3

Grammar özle- + -m (deverbal noun).

Özlem is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Özlem made of?

Özlem breaks into 2 parts: özle- (to long for, to miss) + -m (deverbal noun suffix).

Özlem ++ root özle- to long for, to miss TURKIC özlem “longing, yearning” suffix -m deverbal noun suffix TURKIC öz “self, inner being” Özlem özle- root to long for, to miss özlem TURKIC “longing, yearning” -m suffix deverbal noun suffix öz TURKIC “self, inner being”
Özlem: parts and root words
  • özlem Turkic — longing, yearning3
  • öz Turkic — self, inner being1

How was the name Özlem formed?

Özlem belongs to the “suffixed” class of surnames (özle- + -m).

Which surnames are related to Özlem?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Özlen same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Özlem?

  1. Yılmaz Özlem association football player 1972–
  2. Deniz Özlem association football player 1986–
  3. Doğan Özlem university teacher 1944–2022

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

Is Özlem also a first name?

Yes. Özlem is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “longing”.

2018–2025

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

How is Özlem written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey the name is often written Ozlem.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: özlem accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: özlem accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Özlem accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Özlem

Q1

What does the surname Özlem mean?

Özlem is longing, the wish to see someone or something again; yearning. It is formed from the verb özle-, “to miss, long for”, with the suffix -m; Nişanyan’s dictionary derives özle- from öz, “self, inner being”. According to Nişanyan Adlar the word was proposed as a surname in 1935 and began to be heard as a girl’s name around 1940.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Özlem?

The root word of Özlem is özlem (Turkic): “longing, yearning”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Özlem?

Öz·lem, 2 syllables; IPA: /øzˈlem/.