Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 2,922

Talay

Talay /taˈɫaj/

“sea, ocean”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. §6As a first name
  7. §7Sources
  8. §8Questions
  9. §9Related

How do you pronounce Talay?

Talay

IPA /taˈɫaj/

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

What does the surname Talay mean?

Talay is the same word as Mongolian dalai ‘sea, ocean’; the title Dalai Lama, borrowed into Tibetan, means ‘ocean lord’. In Kazakh talay is also used for ‘fortune’. The surname reads as a name for the breadth of the sea or as a wish for plenty.1

Grammar Bare noun of Mongolic origin.

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

What is Talay made of?

Talay is a single root: talay (sea, ocean).

Talay root talay sea, ocean MONGOLIC talay “sea, ocean (Mongoliandalai); in Kazakh…” Talay talay root sea, ocean talay MONGOLIC “sea, ocean (Mongolian dalai); inKazakh fortune”
Talay: parts and root words
  • talay Mongolic — sea, ocean (Mongolian dalai); in Kazakh fortune1

How was the name Talay formed?

Talay belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Talay?

  1. Mustafa İstemihan Talay politician 1945–
  2. Ayşe Talay-Ongan writer 1947–
  3. Melis Talay basketball player 1990–
  4. Rasim Ferit Talay politician 1889–1965
  5. Sadettin Ferit Talay politician 1879–1952
  6. İsmail Hakkı Talay military officer 1896–1973
  7. Şebnem Gürsoy Talay actor 1964–
  8. Aydın Talay politician

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

Is Talay also a first name?

Yes. Talay is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “sea, ocean”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Talay accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Talay

Q1

What does the surname Talay mean?

Talay is the same word as Mongolian dalai ‘sea, ocean’; the title Dalai Lama, borrowed into Tibetan, means ‘ocean lord’. In Kazakh talay is also used for ‘fortune’. The surname reads as a name for the breadth of the sea or as a wish for plenty.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Talay?

The root word of Talay is talay (Mongolic): “sea, ocean (Mongolian dalai); in Kazakh fortune”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Talay?

Ta·lay, 2 syllables; IPA: /taˈɫaj/.