Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,949

Reis

Reis /ɾeˈis/

“chief; sea captain”1

Established origin Reis: root entries for reis + raʾīs · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
R
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How do you pronounce Reis?

Reis

IPA /ɾeˈis/

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

What does the surname Reis mean?

Reis comes from Arabic raʾīs ‘head, leader’, from raʾs ‘head’. In the Ottoman navy ship captains were called reis (Piri Reis, Kemal Reis); on land the word also meant the head of a group. Today it is still used for the skipper of a fishing boat.1

Grammar Bare noun borrowed from Arabic.

Reis is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Reis made of?

Reis is a single Arabic root: reis (head, chief; ship’s captain).

Reis + root reis head, chief; ship’scaptain ARABIC reis “chief, leader; captain” ARABIC raʾīs “leader, head, captain” Reis reis root head, chief; ship’s captain reis ARABIC “chief, leader; captain” raʾīs ARABIC “leader, head, captain”
Reis: parts and root words
  • reis Arabic — chief, leader; captain1
  • raʾīs Arabic — leader, head, captain1

How was the name Reis formed?

Reis is the word reis (“head, chief; ship’s captain”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Who are some well-known people named Reis?

  1. Selman Reis military personnel 1500–1528
  2. Muhammet Reis association football player 1984–
  3. Aydın Reis military personnel
  4. Sefer Reis privateer
  5. Burak Reis military personnel
  6. Rasim Reis sport cyclist 1992–
  7. Samet Reis association football player 1991–
  8. Erhan Reis researcher

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Reis?

Arabacıbaşı, Kuşçubaşı and Beyoğlu share gloss keywords with Reis within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Reis?

Read the root, formation and register information for Reis alongside this guide: How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: reis
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: reis
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Reis
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Reis

Q1

What does the surname Reis mean?

Reis comes from Arabic raʾīs ‘head, leader’, from raʾs ‘head’. In the Ottoman navy ship captains were called reis (Piri Reis, Kemal Reis); on land the word also meant the head of a group. Today it is still used for the skipper of a fishing boat.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Reis?

The root word of Reis is reis (Arabic): “chief, leader; captain”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Reis?

Re·is, 2 syllables; IPA: /ɾeˈis/.