Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,208

Tema

Tema /teˈma/

“theme”1

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

How do you pronounce Tema?

Tema

IPA /teˈma/

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

What does the surname Tema mean?

Tema means the theme or main motif of a literary work or a musical composition. Nişanyan derives it from French thème/théma, which goes back to Ancient Greek théma ‘that which is laid down’.1

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

Tema is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Tema made of?

Tema is a single French root: tema (theme, subject).

Tema root tema theme, subject FRENCH tema “theme of a text or pieceof music” Tema tema root theme, subject tema FRENCH “theme of a text or piece ofmusic”
Tema: parts and root words
  • tema French — theme of a text or piece of music1

How was the name Tema formed?

Tema is the word tema (“theme, subject”), 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 Tema?

  1. Muzaffer Tema actor 1919–2011
  2. Diamond Tema writer 1994–

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: tema accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: tema 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

Common questions about Tema

Q1

What does the surname Tema mean?

Tema means the theme or main motif of a literary work or a musical composition. Nişanyan derives it from French thème/théma, which goes back to Ancient Greek théma ‘that which is laid down’.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Tema?

The root word of Tema is tema (European): “theme of a text or piece of music”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Tema?

Te·ma, 2 syllables; IPA: /teˈma/.