Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,098

Tunca

Tunca /ˈtundʒa/

“the river Tunca (Tundzha)”1

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Place name
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 Tunca?

Tunca

IPA /ˈtundʒa/

The stress usually falls on syllable 1 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Tunca mean?

Tunca is the Turkish name of the river (Bulgarian Tundzha) that comes down from Bulgaria and joins the Maritsa at Edirne; in antiquity it was called Tonzos. The surname most likely takes its name from this river. A small town in Ardeşen, Rize, bears the same name.1

Grammar A bare proper name: the river name is used unchanged as a surname.

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

What is Tunca made of?

Tunca is a single root: Tunca (Tunca: the river that flows past Edirne into the Maritsa).

Tunca root Tunca Tunca: the river thatflows past Edirne into… OTHER Tunca “a Balkan river, ancientTonzos” Tunca Tunca root Tunca: the river that flows pastEdirne into the Maritsa Tunca OTHER “a Balkan river, ancient Tonzos”
Tunca: parts and root words
  • Tunca Other — a Balkan river, ancient Tonzos1

How was the name Tunca formed?

Tunca belongs to the “place name” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Tunca?

  1. Birand Tunca actor 1990–
  2. Melih Tunca basketball player 2005–
  3. Ahmet Cemal Tunca politician 1884–1963
  4. Zekai Tunca composer 1944–
  5. Çetin Tunca cinematographer 1938–
  6. Özlem Tunca actor 1985–
  7. Burak Tunca researcher
  8. Can Tunca researcher

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

Is Tunca also a first name?

Yes. Tunca is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the river Tunca (Tundzha)”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Tunca accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Tunca (anlam ayrımı) accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Tundzha accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name accessed 8 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026
  6. 6 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Tunca

Q1

What does the surname Tunca mean?

Tunca is the Turkish name of the river (Bulgarian Tundzha) that comes down from Bulgaria and joins the Maritsa at Edirne; in antiquity it was called Tonzos. The surname most likely takes its name from this river. A small town in Ardeşen, Rize, bears the same name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Tunca?

The root word of Tunca is Tunca (another language): “a Balkan river, ancient Tonzos”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Tunca?

Tun·ca, 2 syllables; IPA: /ˈtundʒa/.