Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,929

Yakan

Yakan /jaˈkan/

“the one who kindles”1

Probable origin Yakan: root entries for yakmak + Yakan · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
5 / 2
Formation
From a verb
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
Y
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How do you pronounce Yakan?

Yakan

IPA /jaˈkan/

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

What does the surname Yakan mean?

Yakan is the participle of yakmak ‘to light’: ‘the one who kindles the fire’. It is also recorded as a male given name. The name evokes someone who keeps the hearth burning or sets things going.1,2

Grammar yak- + -an: present participle.

That Yakan goes back to yakmak and Yakan is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Yakan made of?

Yakan is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: yak- (yakmak: to light) + -an (present participle).

Yakan ++ root yak- yakmak: to light TURKIC yakmak “to light, to set alight” suffix -an present participle TURKIC Yakan “male given name” Yakan yak- root yakmak: to light yakmak TURKIC “to light, to set alight” -an suffix present participle Yakan TURKIC “male given name”
Yakan: parts and root words
  • yakmak Turkic — to light, to set alight1
  • Yakan Turkic — male given name2

How was the name Yakan formed?

Yakan was formed by adding the suffix -an (“present participle”) to the verb stem yak- (“yakmak: to light”).

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

Which surnames are related to Yakan?

Yakan Yakar Hiçyakmazer Odyakmaz
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Yakar same root – –
02 Hiçyakmazer same root – –
03 Odyakmaz same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Yakan?

  1. Tuba Yakan karateka 1991–
  2. Aleaddin Yakan coach 1955–
  3. Mehmet Yakan karateka 1992–
  4. Mehmet Yakan researcher
  5. Selvinaz Yakan researcher

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

Is Yakan also a first name?

Yes. Yakan is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the one who kindles”.

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Yakan?

Yakar, Ateşoğlu and Enver share gloss keywords with Yakan within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Yakan?

Read the root, formation and register information for Yakan alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to research a Turkish surname and family tree.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: yakmak accessed 9 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: Yakan 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 Yakan

Q1

What does the surname Yakan mean?

Yakan is the participle of yakmak ‘to light’: ‘the one who kindles the fire’. It is also recorded as a male given name. The name evokes someone who keeps the hearth burning or sets things going.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Yakan?

The root word of Yakan is yakmak (Turkic): “to light, to set alight”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Yakan?

Ya·kan, 2 syllables; IPA: /jaˈkan/.