Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 5,022

Yelkenci

Yelkenci /jelkenˈdʒi/

“sailmaker, sailor”1

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

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
8 / 3
Formation
Suffixed
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Y
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How do you pronounce Yelkenci?

Yelkenci

IPA /jelkenˈdʒi/

The stress usually falls on syllable 3 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Yelkenci mean?

Yelkenci is yelken ‘sail’ plus the agent suffix -ci: a sailmaker, or someone who works sails. According to Nişanyan, yelken comes from Middle Turkic yélke- ‘to flutter’.1

Grammar yelken + -ci (agent suffix).

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

What is Yelkenci made of?

Yelkenci is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: yelken (sail) + -ci (agent suffix).

Yelkenci + root yelken sail TURKIC yelken “sail” suffix -ci agent suffix Yelkenci yelken root sail yelken TURKIC “sail” -ci suffix agent suffix
Yelkenci: parts and root words

How was the name Yelkenci formed?

Yelkenci was formed by adding the suffix -ci (“agent suffix”) to yelken (“sail”).

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.3

Which surnames are related to Yelkenci?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Yelken same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Yelkenci?

  1. Ceyhun Yelkenci association football player 1983–
  2. Yüksel Yelkenci association football player 1960–

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Yelkenci?

Yelken shares gloss keywords with Yelkenci within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Yelkenci?

Read the root, formation and register information for Yelkenci 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?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: yelken
  2. 2 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  3. 3 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Yelkenci

Q1

What does the surname Yelkenci mean?

Yelkenci is yelken ‘sail’ plus the agent suffix -ci: a sailmaker, or someone who works sails. According to Nişanyan, yelken comes from Middle Turkic yélke- ‘to flutter’.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Yelkenci?

The root word of Yelkenci is yelken (Turkic): “sail”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Yelkenci?

Yel·ken·ci, 3 syllables; IPA: /jelkenˈdʒi/.