Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,958

Sultan

Sultan /suɫˈtan/

“ruler’s title; female name”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
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 Sultan?

Sultan

IPA /suɫˈtan/

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

What does the surname Sultan mean?

Sultan is a title of sovereignty from Arabic sulṭān ‘power, authority’. In the Ottoman state not only the ruler but also the princesses and the sultan’s mother bore it, as in Mihrimah Sultan or Hürrem Sultan. Today it is a common Turkish female name, and figuratively it means the best in a field.1

Sultan is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Sultan made of?

Sultan is a single Arabic root: sultan (ruler; title of members of the dynasty).

Sultan + root sultan ruler; title of membersof the dynasty ARABIC sultan “title of a ruler; titleof the sultan’s…” ARABIC sulṭān “power, authority; ruler” Sultan sultan root ruler; title of members of the dynasty sultan ARABIC “title of a ruler; title of thesultan’s children, mother and…” sulṭān ARABIC “power, authority; ruler”
Sultan: parts and root words
  • sultan Arabic — title of a ruler; title of the sultan’s children, mother and consorts; the best in a field1
  • sulṭān Arabic — power, authority; ruler1

How was the name Sultan formed?

Sultan is the word sultan (“ruler; title of members of the dynasty”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Who are some well-known people named Sultan?

  1. Hatice Şükriye Sultan aristocrat 1906–1972
  2. Fatma Ulviye Sultan aristocrat 1892–1967
  3. Fehime Sultan pianist 1875–1929
  4. Nazıme Sultan aristocrat 1866–1947
  5. Fatma Gevheri Sultan composer 1904–1980
  6. Esma Sultan aristocrat 1726–1788
  7. Naile Sultan aristocrat 1884–1957
  8. Zeynep Asima Sultan aristocrat 1714–1774

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

Is Sultan also a first name?

Yes. Sultan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: ruler’s title; female name.

2018–2025

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: sultan accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Sultan 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 Sultan

Q1

What does the surname Sultan mean?

Sultan is a title of sovereignty from Arabic sulṭān ‘power, authority’. In the Ottoman state not only the ruler but also the princesses and the sultan’s mother bore it, as in Mihrimah Sultan or Hürrem Sultan. Today it is a common Turkish female name, and figuratively it means the best in a field.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Sultan?

The root word of Sultan is sultan (Arabic): “title of a ruler; title of the sultan’s children, mother and consorts; the best in a field”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Sultan?

Sul·tan, 2 syllables; IPA: /suɫˈtan/.