Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,087

Tabak

Tabak /taˈbak/

“tanner; plate”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
T
Contents§1–§9
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Notable people
  6. §6Abroad
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Tabak?

Tabak

IPA /taˈbak/

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

What does the surname Tabak mean?

Turkish has two separate words tabak. One is the tanner, the craftsman who cures and dresses hides; Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic dabbāġ, “tanner”. The other is a plate or dish, from Arabic ṭabaq. No source shows which of the two the surname rests on.1

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

Tabak is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Tabak made of?

Tabak is a single Arabic root: tabak (tanner; plate).

Tabak + root tabak tanner; plate ARABIC tabak “tanner; Arabic dabbāġ” ARABIC tabak “plate, dish; Arabicṭabaq” Tabak tabak root tanner; plate tabak ARABIC “tanner; Arabic dabbāġ” tabak ARABIC “plate, dish; Arabic ṭabaq”
Tabak: parts and root words
  • tabak Arabic — tanner; Arabic dabbāġ1
  • tabak Arabic — plate, dish; Arabic ṭabaq1

How was the name Tabak formed?

Tabak is the word tabak (“tanner; plate”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Who are some well-known people named Tabak?

  1. Mustafa Candemir Tabak basketball official
  2. Mehmet Tabak political scientist

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

How is Tabak written and pronounced abroad?

Tabak uses only letters shared with English, so the spelling stays the same abroad.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: tabak accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: tabak accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: tabak accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Tabak

Q1

What does the surname Tabak mean?

Turkish has two separate words tabak. One is the tanner, the craftsman who cures and dresses hides; Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic dabbāġ, “tanner”. The other is a plate or dish, from Arabic ṭabaq. No source shows which of the two the surname rests on.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Tabak?

The root word of Tabak is tabak (Arabic): “tanner; Arabic dabbāġ”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Tabak?

Ta·bak, 2 syllables; IPA: /taˈbak/.