Surname Genctürk - Meaning and Origin
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Genctürk: What does the surname Genctürk mean?
The last name Genctürk is of Turkish origin, and it is derived from the words "Genç" and "Türk," meaning "young Turk." The origin of the name is thought to date back to the Ottoman Empire, when men of a certain age, or "young Turks," were members of a reform-minded group within the empire who desired to bring about change to the traditional system.
The name is relatively rare, only appearing in certain areas of Turkey such as the Anatolian region. It is believed that the name first appeared among members of the ruling élite who sought to bring the empire into the modern age. The Genctürks encouraged an intellectual, modern, and scientific approach to government and worked to establish western-style legal systems, educational reforms, and other changes to the status quo.
Although the last name does not appear in large numbers in modern-day Turkey, it is seen as a symbol of a movement that sought to further modernize the political system of the Ottoman Empire, and this is reflected in modern-day Turkish culture. The Genctürk family is seen as a symbol of progress and reform, and to carry this name is a reminder of the importance of looking towards the future and bringing about positive change.
Order DNA origin analysisGenctürk: Where does the name Genctürk come from?
The surname Genctürk is most commonly found in both Turkey and Cyprus. It is a toponymic surname derived from the Turkish word "genç," which translates to "young" or "new" in English.
In Turkey, Genctürk is particularly frequent in the Bolu and Kütahya provinces, as well as in certain urban areas, such as Ankara and Istanbul. The surname is also popular in the provinces of Artvin, Hatay and Giresun in the southeast of the country. It is estimated that roughly 5−10 thousand people living in Turkey bear this surname.
In Cyprus, Genctürk is a common surname within the Turkish Cypriot community. The name can be found in both the cities of Nicosia and Lefkosha, as well as in the Karpasia Peninsula in the northeast of the island. A 2014 study estimated that the number of people in Cyprus bearing this surname to be around 86.
Despite being geographically closely linked, the distribution of the surname Genctürk differs significantly between Turkey and Cyprus; in Turkey it is primarily concentrated in certain regions, whereas in Cyprus it is broadly spread across the island.
Variations of the surname Genctürk
Genctürk is a male Turkish surname that is derived from the Turkish compound word consisting of the two elements, ‘genc’, meaning ‘young’ and ‘türk’ meaning ‘Turk’, respectively. The surname is typically found in Turkey and its various diaspora-communities around the world.
The surname has a few variants and spellings, including Genc-Türk, Gence-Türk, GenceTürk, and Genç-Türk. In some cases, its variants may appear with dash between the two elements (‘genc-türk’).
The surname’s variants can also be found in the form of patronymics, which is a derived form of the surname, such as Genctürkoglu and Genctürkler.
Similarly, Genctürk is also spelled in two separate words, i.e. ‘Genc’ and ‘Türk’, the composition of which can be found in surnames such as Gencoglu, Gencel, Türkoglu, and Türkler.
The surname commonly sees mutation in spelling when adopted to other phonetic environments, apart from Turkish. For instance, Genctürk can be found in the spelling ‘jantzurk’ in countries such as Armenia or ‘janchurk’ in Azerbaijan, due to the influence of those languages’ phonetic environments.
Variants for the same origin, such as the Russian ending ‘-chuk’ may also be seen in the spelling ‘genchtchurk’ in Russian-speaking countries.
In written English, it may be seen written as ‘Gencturk’, ‘Genturk’, or ‘Jenturk’.
Famous people with the name Genctürk
- Talat Halman: Talat Halman was the former Minister of Culture of the Republic of Turkey. He is a prominent Turkish intellectual, poet, literary historian and translator. He is also known as one of the founders of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- Hüsnü Özyeğin: Hüsnü Özyeğin is a prominent Turkish businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Finansbank, an Istanbul-based international bank.
- Gürsel Tekin: Gürsel Tekin is a Turkish politician belonging to the centre-left Republican People's Party. He was the mayor of Istanbul from 2005 to 2009.
- Şebnem Ferah: Şebnem Ferah is a prominent Turkish rock singer-songwriter. She has released five studio albums and is considered one of the most influential figures in the Turkish alternative rock scene.
- Zülfü Livaneli: Zülfü Livaneli is a prominent Turkish writer, poet, singer, composer, and politician. He has released a number of best-selling books and albums.
- İstemihan Taviloğlu: İstemihan Taviloğlu is an internationally renowned Turkish artist who has exhibited in over 100 countries with his abstract expressionist paintings.
- Funda Arar: Funda Arar is a renowned Turkish pop star. She has released seven studio albums, sold millions of copies worldwide, and has had numerous hit singles and music videos.