Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 4,658

Yelken

Yelken /jelˈken/

“sail”1

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

How do you pronounce Yelken?

Yelken

IPA /jelˈken/

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

What does the surname Yelken mean?

Yelken is a sail, the broad cloth that catches the wind and drives a boat. According to Nişanyan the word comes from Middle Turkic yelken, derived from the verb yélke- ‘to flutter’. Nişanyan Adlar also records it as a Turkish name.1

Yelken is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Yelken made of?

Yelken is a single Turkic root: yelken (sail).

Yelken root yelken sail TURKIC yelken “sail; from yélke- ‘toflutter’” Yelken yelken root sail yelken TURKIC “sail; from yélke- ‘to flutter’”
Yelken: parts and root words
  • yelken Turkic — sail; from yélke- ‘to flutter’1

How was the name Yelken formed?

Yelken is the word yelken (“sail”), taken unchanged as a surname.

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

Which surnames are related to Yelken?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Yelkenci same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Yelken?

  1. Aydın Yelken association football player 1939–2022
  2. Müslüm Yelken association football player 1988–

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

How is Yelken written and pronounced abroad?

The spelling Yelken is kept abroad; y is the consonant of English yes.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: yelken accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Adlar: Yelken 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

Common questions about Yelken

Q1

What does the surname Yelken mean?

Yelken is a sail, the broad cloth that catches the wind and drives a boat. According to Nişanyan the word comes from Middle Turkic yelken, derived from the verb yélke- ‘to flutter’. Nişanyan Adlar also records it as a Turkish name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Yelken?

The root word of Yelken is yelken (Turkic): “sail; from yélke- ‘to flutter’”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Yelken?

Yel·ken, 2 syllables; IPA: /jelˈken/.