Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,831

Uygur

Uygur /ujˈɡuɾ/

“historical Turkic people and state”2

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

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Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
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Initial
U
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How do you pronounce Uygur?

Uygur

IPA /ujˈɡuɾ/

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

What does the surname Uygur mean?

Uygur is the name of the historical Turkic people who founded a khaganate in the Orkhon region in 744 and later built a settled civilisation around Turfan. The Uyghur script and Uyghur-era texts are among the main sources for Old Turkic. The origin of the name is debated; explanations linking it to the verb uy- ‘to follow, to unite’ are common but not settled.2

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

What is Uygur made of?

Uygur is a single Turkic root: Uygur (name of a historical Turkic people and state).

Uygur root Uygur name of a historicalTurkic people and state TURKIC Uygur “name of the Turkicpeople who founded a…” Uygur Uygur root name of a historical Turkic people andstate Uygur TURKIC “name of the Turkic people whofounded a khaganate in Central…”
Uygur: parts and root words
  • Uygur Turkic — name of the Turkic people who founded a khaganate in Central Asia in the 8th century2

How was the name Uygur formed?

Uygur is the word Uygur (“name of a historical Turkic people and state”), taken unchanged as a surname.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.4

Who are some well-known people named Uygur?

  1. Cenk Uygur politician 1970–
  2. Nejat Uygur actor 1927–2013
  3. Burak Uygur karateka 1995–
  4. Hazal Selin Uygur volleyball player 1992–
  5. Nermi Uygur author 1925–2005
  6. Semra Uygur architect 1956–
  7. Süheyl Uygur actor 1958–
  8. Barış Uygur record producer 1978–

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

Is Uygur also a first name?

Yes. Uygur is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “historical Turkic people and state”.

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Uygur?

Kıpçak, Özbek and Kaçar share gloss keywords with Uygur within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Uygur?

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikipedi: Uygur (soyadı) accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Uygur 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 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 9 November 2026

Common questions about Uygur

Q1

What does the surname Uygur mean?

Uygur is the name of the historical Turkic people who founded a khaganate in the Orkhon region in 744 and later built a settled civilisation around Turfan. The Uyghur script and Uyghur-era texts are among the main sources for Old Turkic. The origin of the name is debated; explanations linking it to the verb uy- ‘to follow, to unite’ are common but not settled.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Uygur?

The root word of Uygur is Uygur (Turkic): “name of the Turkic people who founded a khaganate in Central Asia in the 8th century”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Uygur?

Uy·gur, 2 syllables; IPA: /ujˈɡuɾ/.