Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,140

Targan

Targan /taɾˈɡan/

“tarkhan, a noble title”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
T
Contents§1–§11
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Spellings
  7. §7Notable people
  8. §8As a first name
  9. §9Sources
  10. §10Questions
  11. §11Related

How do you pronounce Targan?

Targan

IPA /taɾˈɡan/

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

What does the surname Targan mean?

Nişanyan Adlar gives Targan as a form of the name Tarkan. Tarkan, or tarkhan, was a title of nobility in early Turkic states and neighbouring cultures, and survived in Turkish as Tarhan and Turhan. According to the source, the ultimate origin of the title is uncertain and may be connected with Mongolian darqat, “exempt from tax, privileged”.1

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

What is Targan made of?

Targan is a single Turkic root: targan (tarkhan, a title of nobility).

Targan root targan tarkhan, a title ofnobility TURKIC Tarkan “title of nobility inearly Turkic states and…” Targan targan root tarkhan, a title of nobility Tarkan TURKIC “title of nobility in earlyTurkic states and neighbouring…”
Targan: parts and root words
  • Tarkan Turkic — title of nobility in early Turkic states and neighbouring cultures1

How was the name Targan formed?

Targan is the word targan (“tarkhan, a title of nobility”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Targan?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Tarhan same root – –

How else is Targan spelled?

Tarkanspelling

Who are some well-known people named Targan?

  1. Şerif Muhiddin Targan composer 1892–1967
  2. Sönmez Targan writer 1944–2022

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

Is Targan also a first name?

Yes. Targan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “tarkhan, a noble title”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Targan 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Targan

Q1

What does the surname Targan mean?

Nişanyan Adlar gives Targan as a form of the name Tarkan. Tarkan, or tarkhan, was a title of nobility in early Turkic states and neighbouring cultures, and survived in Turkish as Tarhan and Turhan. According to the source, the ultimate origin of the title is uncertain and may be connected with Mongolian darqat, “exempt from tax, privileged”.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Targan?

The root word of Targan is Tarkan (Turkic): “title of nobility in early Turkic states and neighbouring cultures”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Targan?

Tar·gan, 2 syllables; IPA: /taɾˈɡan/.