SURNAMEEntry 4,038
Şen
“cheerful, merry”2
- CategoryHeart, joy and hope
- OriginArmenian
- FormAdjective
- Letters / syllables
- 3 / 1
- Formation
- Adjective
- Vowel harmony
- front
Contents§1–§12
How do you pronounce Şen?
What does the surname Şen mean?
Şen means cheerful, merry and smiling, as in the pairing şen şakrak, “bright and bubbly”. Said of a place it means lively and bustling, which reflects its source, Armenian šen “inhabited, prosperous”. It is a given name for men and women and the first element of many surnames such as Şener and Şentürk.2
The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:
- Nişanyan Sözlük and English Wiktionary (citing Ačaṙean and Dankoff) trace şen to Armenian šen “inhabited, prosperous”.
- Turkish Wiktionary gives the word as Persian, and Nişanyan notes it may have come directly from Middle Persian *šēn.
Şen is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.
What is Şen made of?
Şen is a single Armenian root: şen (cheerful, merry).
- şen Armenian — cheerful, merry; lively, bustling (of a place)2
How was the name Şen formed?
Şen is the adjective şen (“cheerful, merry”), taken unchanged as a surname.
Which surnames are related to Şen?
| # | Surname | Relation | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Şener | same root | – | – |
| 02 | Şentürk | same root | – | – |
| 03 | Şenol | same root | – | – |
| 04 | Şengül | same root | – | – |
| 05 | Şenel | same root | – | – |
| 06 | Şensoy | same root | – | – |
| 07 | Şenocak | same root | – | – |
| 08 | Şengün | same root | – | – |
| 09 | Şencan | same root | – | – |
| 10 | Pekşen | same root | – | – |
| 11 | Şenay | same root | – | – |
| 12 | Şenses | same root | – | – |
Where in Türkiye is Şen most common?
Şen is outside the national top 30, but it appears in the top-30 lists of 26 provinces; its best rank is 12th in Bursa.1
- In the province top 30 26
- Not listed
| # | Province | Rank | People |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bursa | 12 | 15,520 |
| 02 | Izmir | 16 | 14,807 |
| 03 | Antalya | 30 | 7,608 |
| 04 | Kocaeli | 30 | 5,994 |
| 05 | Samsun | 18 | 5,820 |
| 06 | Mersin | 28 | 5,690 |
Who are some well-known people named Şen?
- Volkan Şen association football player 1987–
- Şener Şen actor 1941–
- İlhan Şen actor 1987–
- Ali Şen actor 1918–1989
- Ali Şen sports executive 1939–
- Erdem Şen association football player 1989–
- Eren Şen association football player 1984–
- Fatih Şen association football player 1979–
People surnamed Şen as recorded in Wikidata, ordered by the number of Wikipedia language editions.
Is Şen also a first name?
Yes. Şen is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “cheerful, merry”.
Şen as a first name: meaning and statistics — turkiyenames.com →
How is Şen written and pronounced abroad?
In passports and records outside Turkey Şen is usually written Sen.
Where do these facts come from?
- 1 Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK)ADNKS TÜİK Nüfus İsim Portalı: En çok kullanılan soyisimler (ADNKS)
- 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: şen
- 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: şen
- 4 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: şen
- 5 Wikimedia Wiktionary: شن
- 6 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
- 7 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)
- 8 Natural Earth Natural Earth: Admin-1 boundaries
- 9 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com)
Common questions about Şen
- Q1
What does the surname Şen mean?
- Şen means cheerful, merry and smiling, as in the pairing şen şakrak, “bright and bubbly”. Said of a place it means lively and bustling, which reflects its source, Armenian šen “inhabited, prosperous”. It is a given name for men and women and the first element of many surnames such as Şener and Şentürk.
- Q2
What is the origin of the surname Şen?
- The root word of Şen is şen (Armenian): “cheerful, merry; lively, bustling (of a place)”. There are 3 competing views on where Şen comes from, all set out on this page.
- Q3
How do you pronounce Şen?
- Şen, 1 syllable; IPA: /ʃen/.