Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 5,180

Zeybek

Zeybek /zejˈbec/

“Aegean irregular fighter; folk dance”2

Disputed origin Zeybek: root entries for zeybek · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
Plain noun
Vowel harmony
front
Initial
Z
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How do you pronounce Zeybek?

Zeybek

IPA /zejˈbec/

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

What does the surname Zeybek mean?

Zeybek was the name for the irregular fighters of the western Anatolian mountains, known for their distinctive dress and arms; their leader was called efe. The same name is given to the slow, proud Aegean folk dance and its music. The origin of the word has not been settled.2

The origin is disputed. The views put forward are:

  1. Some sources derive it from *sübek, from Old Turkic sü “army” and bek “lord” (Wikipedia, Zeybeks).
  2. According to Nişanyan, the word is of either Turkic or Arabic origin (Wikipedia, Zeybeks).
  3. Onur Akdoğu proposed an Old Turkic saybek “strong guardian”; Paul Wittek linked it to a name recorded by a Byzantine historian (Wikipedia, Zeybeks).

Zeybek is also an ordinary word in everyday Turkish.

What is Zeybek made of?

Zeybek is a single Turkic root: zeybek (zeybek: western Anatolian irregular fighter; folk dance).

Zeybek root zeybek zeybek: western Anatolianirregular fighter; folk… TURKIC zeybek “irregular fighter ofwestern Anatolia;…” Zeybek zeybek root zeybek: western Anatolian irregularfighter; folk dance zeybek TURKIC “irregular fighter of westernAnatolia; Aegean folk dance and…”
Zeybek: parts and root words
  • zeybek Turkic — irregular fighter of western Anatolia; Aegean folk dance and its music2

How was the name Zeybek formed?

Zeybek is the word zeybek (“zeybek: western Anatolian irregular fighter; folk dance”), 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 Zeybek?

#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Zeybekoğlu same root – –

Who are some well-known people named Zeybek?

  1. Namık Kemal Zeybek politician 1944–
  2. Uygar Mert Zeybek association football player 1995–
  3. Halil Zeybek association football player 1985–
  4. Asiye Güzel Zeybek writer 1970–
  5. Emine Zeybek politician 1967–
  6. Emrullah Zeybek statesperson 1929–2007
  7. Gökan Zeybek politician 1964–
  8. Hasan Zeybek professional wrestler 1978–

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

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Zeybek?

Zeybekoğlu, Efe and Efemgil share gloss keywords with Zeybek within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Zeybek?

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

Where do these facts come from?

All sources accessed 8 November 2026

  1. 1 Wikimedia Wikipedia: Zeybeks
  2. 2 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: zeybek
  3. 3 Wikimedia Foundation Wikidata: people with this family name
  4. 4 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525)

Common questions about Zeybek

Q1

What does the surname Zeybek mean?

Zeybek was the name for the irregular fighters of the western Anatolian mountains, known for their distinctive dress and arms; their leader was called efe. The same name is given to the slow, proud Aegean folk dance and its music. The origin of the word has not been settled.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Zeybek?

The root word of Zeybek is zeybek (Turkic): “irregular fighter of western Anatolia; Aegean folk dance and its music”. There are 4 competing views on where Zeybek comes from, all set out on this page.
Q3

How do you pronounce Zeybek?

Zey·bek, 2 syllables; IPA: /zejˈbec/.