Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,359

Turhan

Turhan /tuɾˈhan/

“a form of the title tarhan”1

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
T
Contents§1–§10
  1. §1Pronunciation
  2. §2Meaning
  3. §3Root tree
  4. §4Formation & 1934
  5. §5Name family
  6. §6Notable people
  7. §7As a first name
  8. §8Sources
  9. §9Questions
  10. §10Related

How do you pronounce Turhan?

Turhan

IPA /tuɾˈhan/

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

What does the surname Turhan mean?

Turhan is a form of tarhan, the title borne by high-ranking officials among the early Turks; the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi lists tarkan, terken and turhan as forms of the same title. In Turkic and Mongol dynasties it also marked a privilege granted by the ruler to certain statesmen. It has been used as a male given name since Ottoman times.1

Grammar A single-word old title; unlike compound names ending in -han, it is not split into elements.

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

What is Turhan made of?

Turhan is a single Turkic root: turhan (turhan: a form of the old Turkic title tarhan).

Turhan root turhan turhan: a form of the oldTurkic title tarhan TURKIC tarhan “title of high-rankingstate officials among…” Turhan turhan root turhan: a form of the old Turkic titletarhan tarhan TURKIC “title of high-ranking stateofficials among the early…”
Turhan: parts and root words
  • tarhan Turkic — title of high-ranking state officials among the early Turks; also found as tarkan, terken, turhan1

How was the name Turhan formed?

Turhan is the word turhan (“turhan: a form of the old Turkic title tarhan”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Which surnames are related to Turhan?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Tarhan same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Turhan?

  1. Mehmet Cahit Turhan politician 1960–
  2. Olcay Turhan association football player 1988–
  3. Evren Nuri Turhan association football player 1974–
  4. Sinan Turhan association football player 1958–
  5. Tuğra Turhan association football player 2007–
  6. Mümtaz Turhan university teacher 1908–1969
  7. Necdet Turhan mountaineer 1957–
  8. İbrahim Turhan politician 1968–

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

Is Turhan also a first name?

Yes. Turhan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “a form of the title tarhan”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 islamansiklopedisi.org.tr islamansiklopedisi.org.tr: tarhan accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Turhan accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Turhan 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Turhan

Q1

What does the surname Turhan mean?

Turhan is a form of tarhan, the title borne by high-ranking officials among the early Turks; the TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi lists tarkan, terken and turhan as forms of the same title. In Turkic and Mongol dynasties it also marked a privilege granted by the ruler to certain statesmen. It has been used as a male given name since Ottoman times.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Turhan?

The root word of Turhan is tarhan (Turkic): “title of high-ranking state officials among the early Turks; also found as tarkan, terken, turhan”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Turhan?

Tur·han, 2 syllables; IPA: /tuɾˈhan/.