Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,598

Tokay

Tokay /toˈkaj/

“biceps, strong arm”1

Probable origin Tokay: root entries for toqai · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
T
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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 Mongolic root: Tokay (biceps).

Tokay root Tokay biceps MONGOLIC toqai “biceps” Tokay Tokay root biceps toqai MONGOLIC “biceps”
Tokay: parts and root words

How was the name Tokay formed?

Tokay is the word Tokay (“biceps”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

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

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 →

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Tokay?

Alpuğan, Aydemir and Berkay share gloss keywords with Tokay within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Tokay?

Read the root, formation and register information for Tokay alongside this guide: How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 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/.