Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,877

Seyhan

Seyhan /sejˈhan/

“the river Seyhan (Adana)”2

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Place name
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 Seyhan?

Seyhan

IPA /sejˈhan/

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

What does the surname Seyhan mean?

Seyhan is the river that comes down from the Taurus, flows through Adana and reaches the Mediterranean; one of Adana’s central districts is named after it. In antiquity it was the Saros, and older records also spell it Seihan and Sihun. Sources do not explain the origin of the name. It is also used as a given name for girls and boys.2

That Seyhan goes back to Seyhan is probable rather than proven: the dictionary entry cited supports it.

What is Seyhan made of?

Seyhan is a single root: Seyhan (Seyhan: the river at Adana).

Seyhan root Seyhan Seyhan: the river atAdana OTHER Seyhan “district of Adana; theSeyhan river; unisex…” Seyhan Seyhan root Seyhan: the river at Adana Seyhan OTHER “district of Adana; the Seyhanriver; unisex given name”
Seyhan: parts and root words
  • Seyhan Other — district of Adana; the Seyhan river; unisex given name2

How was the name Seyhan formed?

Seyhan comes from a place name: Seyhan (“Seyhan: the river at Adana”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Who are some well-known people named Seyhan?

  1. Tolga Seyhan association football player 1977–
  2. Mustafa Hüseyin Seyhan association football player 1996–
  3. Mukadder Seyhan Yücel university teacher 1971–
  4. Sibel Seyhan actor 1972–
  5. Dündar Seyhan soldier 1917–
  6. Mehmet Necip Seyhan politician 1917–1987
  7. Tacidar Seyhan politician 1959–
  8. Ahmet Seyhan researcher

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

Is Seyhan also a first name?

Yes. Seyhan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the river Seyhan (Adana)”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Seyhan River accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Seyhan accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Seyhan

Q1

What does the surname Seyhan mean?

Seyhan is the river that comes down from the Taurus, flows through Adana and reaches the Mediterranean; one of Adana’s central districts is named after it. In antiquity it was the Saros, and older records also spell it Seihan and Sihun. Sources do not explain the origin of the name. It is also used as a given name for girls and boys.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Seyhan?

The root word of Seyhan is Seyhan (another language): “district of Adana; the Seyhan river; unisex given name”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Seyhan?

Sey·han, 2 syllables; IPA: /sejˈhan/.