Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,040

Tokay

Tokay /toˈkaj/

“biceps, strong arm”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 Tokay?

Tokay

IPA /toˈkaj/

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

What does the surname Tokay mean?

Tokay rests on Mongolian toqai “biceps”. It was borne by Toqay Timur, a thirteenth-century descendant of Genghis Khan regarded as founder of the Toktamış dynasty of the Golden Horde.1

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

What is Tokay made of?

Tokay is a single root: Tokay (biceps).

Tokay root Tokay biceps MONGOLIC toqai “biceps” Tokay Tokay root biceps toqai MONGOLIC “biceps”
Tokay: parts and root words
  • toqai Mongolic — biceps1

How was the name Tokay formed?

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

Who are some well-known people named Tokay?

  1. Enver Tokay architect 1923–
  2. Alper Tokay researcher
  3. Begüm Tokay researcher
  4. Feyzullah Tokay researcher
  5. Osman Tokay association football player 2005–
  6. Uğur Tokay researcher
  7. Gheorghe Tokay politician 1939–2016

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

Is Tokay also a first name?

Yes. Tokay is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “biceps, strong arm”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 nisanyanadlar.com nisanyanadlar.com: Tokay 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 Tokay

Q1

What does the surname Tokay mean?

Tokay rests on Mongolian toqai “biceps”. It was borne by Toqay Timur, a thirteenth-century descendant of Genghis Khan regarded as founder of the Toktamış dynasty of the Golden Horde.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Tokay?

The root word of Tokay is toqai (Mongolic): “biceps”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Tokay?

To·kay, 2 syllables; IPA: /toˈkaj/.