Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 3,398

Yunus

Yunus /juˈnus/

“the prophet Jonah; dolphin”1

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

How do you pronounce Yunus?

Yunus

IPA /juˈnus/

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

What does the surname Yunus mean?

Yunus is the name of the prophet Jonah, who in the Quran and the Bible is swallowed by a fish and survives. Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic Yūnus and, through Greek Iōnâs, to Hebrew Yōnah, a word meaning “dove”. The Turkish word yunus, “dolphin”, also comes from the prophet’s name.1,3

Yunus is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Yunus made of?

Yunus is a single root: Yunus (prophet’s name; dolphin).

Yunus + root Yunus prophet’s name; dolphin ARABIC Yūnus “the prophet Jonah; fromHebrew Yōnah” ARABIC yunus “dolphin” Yunus Yunus root prophet’s name; dolphin Yūnus ARABIC “the prophet Jonah; from HebrewYōnah” yunus ARABIC “dolphin”
Yunus: parts and root words
  • Yūnus Arabic — the prophet Jonah; from Hebrew Yōnah1
  • yunus Arabic — dolphin3

How was the name Yunus formed?

Yunus belongs to the “plain noun” class of surnames.

Who are some well-known people named Yunus?

  1. Güneş Yunus athlete 1942–
  2. Şehime Yunus politician 1898–1978
  3. Berkay Yunus basketball player 1993–
  4. Doruk Yunus researcher
  5. Dilber Yunus opera singer 1958–
  6. Alamsyah Yunus badminton player 1986–

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

Is Yunus also a first name?

Yes. Yunus is given as a first name too, carrying the same sense: “the prophet Jonah; dolphin”.

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

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: yunus accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Wikimedia Wiktionary: Yunus accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: yunus 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 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Nizamnamesi (Bakanlar Kurulu Kararı 2/1759) accessed 8 November 2026
  7. 7 turkiyenames.com Türkiye İsimleri (turkiyenames.com) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Yunus

Q1

What does the surname Yunus mean?

Yunus is the name of the prophet Jonah, who in the Quran and the Bible is swallowed by a fish and survives. Nişanyan’s dictionary traces it to Arabic Yūnus and, through Greek Iōnâs, to Hebrew Yōnah, a word meaning “dove”. The Turkish word yunus, “dolphin”, also comes from the prophet’s name.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Yunus?

The root word of Yunus is Yūnus (Arabic): “the prophet Jonah; from Hebrew Yōnah”.
Q3

How do you pronounce Yunus?

Yu·nus, 2 syllables; IPA: /juˈnus/.