Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,672

Sami

Sami /saːˈmi/

“lofty, exalted (male name)”1

Letters / syllables
4 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
mixed
Initial
S
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 Sami?

Sami

IPA /saːˈmi/

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

What does the surname Sami mean?

Sami is a male name of Arabic origin meaning “lofty, exalted, eminent”; it derives from the root samā, “to rise”. It has been a common name since Ottoman times. The surname most likely recalls an ancestor of that name.1

Grammar A personal name used as a surname.

What is Sami made of?

Sami is a single root: Sami (lofty, exalted; male name).

Sami root Sami lofty, exalted; male name ARABIC sami “male name from Arabicsāmin, ‘high, exalted’” Sami Sami root lofty, exalted; male name sami ARABIC “male name from Arabic sāmin,‘high, exalted’”
Sami: parts and root words
  • sami Arabic — male name from Arabic sāmin, “high, exalted”1

How was the name Sami formed?

Sami belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Sami?

  1. Aziz Sami writer 1895–1984
  2. Ahmad Sami weightlifter 1899–
  3. Ömer Sami film director
  4. Adam Sami actor 1971–
  5. Joël Sami association football player 1984–
  6. Leocísio Sami association football player 1988–
  7. Madeleine Sami actor 1980–
  8. Taif Sami official 1963–

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

Is Sami also a first name?

Yes. Sami is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “lofty, exalted (male name)”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

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

Common questions about Sami

Q1

What does the surname Sami mean?

Sami is a male name of Arabic origin meaning “lofty, exalted, eminent”; it derives from the root samā, “to rise”. It has been a common name since Ottoman times. The surname most likely recalls an ancestor of that name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Sami?

The root word of Sami is sami (Arabic): ‘male name from Arabic sāmin, “high, exalted”’.
Q3

How do you pronounce Sami?

Sa·mi, 2 syllables; IPA: /saːˈmi/.