Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,346

Şehit

Şehit /ʃeˈhit/ ASCII Sehit

“martyr”1

Established origin Şehit: root entries for šahīd · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
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Initial
Ş
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How do you pronounce Şehit?

Şehit

IPA /ʃeˈhit/

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

What does the surname Şehit mean?

Şehit means a person who dies for a cause or faith held sacred; in Turkish it is used above all for soldiers killed in war. The word comes from Arabic šahīd, “witness”; the older spelling is şehid.1

Şehit is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Şehit made of?

Şehit is a single Arabic root: şehit (şehit: martyr).

Şehit root şehit şehit: martyr ARABIC šahīd “witness; martyr” Şehit şehit root şehit: martyr šahīd ARABIC “witness; martyr”
Şehit: parts and root words
  • šahīd Arabic — witness; martyr1

How was the name Şehit formed?

Şehit is the word şehit (“şehit: martyr”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Şehit?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Şehitler same root – –

How is Şehit written and pronounced abroad?

In English-language records it often appears as Sehit.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Şehit?

Ermiş, Fetvacı and Hacımüftüoğlu share gloss keywords with Şehit within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Şehit?

Read the root, formation and register information for Şehit alongside these guides: How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames and How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wiktionary: şehit accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: şehit accessed 9 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Şehit

Q1

What does the surname Şehit mean?

Şehit means a person who dies for a cause or faith held sacred; in Turkish it is used above all for soldiers killed in war. The word comes from Arabic šahīd, “witness”; the older spelling is şehid.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Şehit?

The root word of Şehit is šahīd (Arabic): “witness; martyr”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Şehit?

Şe·hit, 2 syllables; IPA: /ʃeˈhit/.