Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,010

Terim

Terim /teˈɾim/

“noble person (old title); term”2

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
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 Terim?

Terim

IPA /teˈɾim/

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

What does the surname Terim mean?

According to Nişanyan Adlar, terim was a title in Old Uyghur and Chagatai texts for men and women of the khan's lineage, ‘noble person, lady’; von Gabain and Rásonyi link it to tängrim ‘my god’. The modern word terim ‘technical term’ is a Language Reform coinage modelled on French terme.2

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Nişanyan Adlar: an Old Turkic title, ‘noble person, lady’.
  2. Nişanyan Sözlük: the modern word terim is a New Turkish formation linked to tér- ‘to gather’ and modelled on French terme.

Terim is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Terim made of?

Terim is a single root: terim (terim: Old Turkic title of nobility; today ‘technical term’).

Terim + root terim terim: Old Turkic titleof nobility; today… TURKIC terim “title given to men andwomen of the khan's…” TURKIC terim “technical term” Terim terim root terim: Old Turkic title of nobility;today ‘technical term’ terim TURKIC “title given to men and women ofthe khan's lineage in Old…” terim TURKIC “technical term”
Terim: parts and root words
  • terim Turkic — title given to men and women of the khan's lineage in Old Uyghur and Chagatai2
  • terim Turkic — technical term2

How was the name Terim formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Terim?

  1. Fatih Terim association football player 1953–

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

Is Terim also a first name?

Yes. Terim is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “noble person (old title); term”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Terim accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: terim 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 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Terim

Q1

What does the surname Terim mean?

According to Nişanyan Adlar, terim was a title in Old Uyghur and Chagatai texts for men and women of the khan's lineage, ‘noble person, lady’; von Gabain and Rásonyi link it to tängrim ‘my god’. The modern word terim ‘technical term’ is a Language Reform coinage modelled on French terme.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Terim?

The root word of Terim is terim (Turkic): “title given to men and women of the khan's lineage in Old Uyghur and Chagatai”. There are 3 competing views on where Terim comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Terim?

Te·rim, 2 syllables; IPA: /teˈɾim/.