Sultan means “power, authority; sultan”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur and Kazakh and also used in Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
- Sultan is a name of Arabic and Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 6 letters.
What does Sultan mean?
Sultan is a Turkish name for both men and women, taken from the Arabic word sulṭān. The word first meant power or authority and later became the title of a Muslim ruler. It reached Turkish through Ottoman.[1,3,4]
Also glossed as “sultan (Jochid Kazakh prince)”[5]LikelyFrom the Kazakh word сұлтан ‘sultan (Jochid Kazakh prince)’. This reading is based on the word; a separate etymology for the name itself is not recorded.
Meaning themes: Leadership and nobility
Sultan in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir
What does Sultan mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Sultan and Sultan. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a name for girls and boys.[1,6]
Listed as a given name in the Turkish section of Wiktionary.
What does Sultan mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written سۇلتان and Sultan (ULY transliteration). Here it is glossed as “possessor of sovereignty, ruler, king”[4]. It is recorded as a boy's name.[4]
What does Sultan mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Сұлтан and Sultan (common romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[3]
What does Sultan mean in Kyrgyz?
In Kyrgyz the name is written Султан and Sultan (common romanization). No separate Kyrgyz gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Sultan mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Sultan. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Sultan mean in Tatar?
In Tatar the name is written Солтан and Sultan (common romanization). No separate Tatar gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
What does Sultan mean in Bashkir?
In Bashkir the name is written Sultan (common romanization). No separate Bashkir gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “power, authority; sultan” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.
Where does the name Sultan come from?
Arabic, borrowing. From Arabic via Ottoman Turkish.[1]✓ Documented
Arabic, borrowing. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Arabic.[4]✓ Documented
Classical Persian, borrowing. The word сұлтан is Classical Persian in origin, according to its dictionary entry.[5]Likely
- sultan “power, authority; sultan”, from Arabic (Arabic سُلْطَان, Kazakh сұлтан)
Which languages use the name Sultan?
Sultan is used as a given name in Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. Its origin is Arabic and Classical Persian. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Sultan across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | SultanLatin SultanLatin | Unisex | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Documented[1,6] |
| Uyghur | سۇلتانArabic script | Boy | “possessor of sovereignty, ruler, king” | Documented[4] |
| Kazakh | СұлтанCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Documented[3] |
| Kyrgyz | СултанCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Editorial |
| Azerbaijani | SultanLatin | Boy | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Editorial |
| Tatar | СолтанCyrillic | Boy | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Editorial |
| Bashkir | SultanLatin, romanized | Boy | same as above: “power, authority; sultan” | Editorial |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Sultan
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sultan[1] | Turkish | Latin | Standard spelling |
| Sultan[3] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| Sultan | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
| سۇلتان[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Sultan[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| Сұлтан[3] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Sultan | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Султан | Kyrgyz | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Sultan | Kyrgyz | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Sultan | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Солтан | Tatar | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Sultan | Tatar | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
| Sultan | Bashkir | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Names related to Sultan
Other names with sultan
- BeksultanBoy“chieftain, master + sultan”
- NursultanBoy“light + sultan”
- SultanbekBoy“sultan lord”
- SultangeldiBoy“the sultan has come”
- ZhansultanBoy“soul + sultan”
Sibling names for Sultan
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Sultan rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- NursultanBoy“light + sultan”same language (kazakh, kyrgyz) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility · also shares the element sultan
- AtabeyBoy“atabeg, guardian lord”same language (turkish, azerbaijani) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- PerqizatGirl“of noble lineage”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- TéyipBoy“good, beautiful, noble”same language (uyghur) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- TaalaibekBoy“lord of fortune”same language (kyrgyz) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- KairatbekBoy“lord of strength”same language (kyrgyz) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- AkermanBoy“honest, noble, pure person”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- MirzaBoy“scribe; khan, bey; scholar, gentleman, teacher, master”same language (turkish, uyghur, tatar, bashkir) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
Common questions about Sultan
What does the name Sultan mean?
Sultan means “power, authority; sultan”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish, Uyghur and Kazakh and also used in Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir.
Is Sultan a girl's or a boy's name?
Sultan is recorded as a boy's name. By language: Turkish: girls and boys; Uyghur: boys; Kazakh: boys; Kyrgyz: boys; Azerbaijani: boys; Tatar: boys; Bashkir: boys.
Where does Sultan come from?
Sultan is of Arabic and Classical Persian origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Sultan?
Sultan is recorded for Turkish, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Azerbaijani, Tatar and Bashkir. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Sultan spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Sultan (Latin), سۇلتان (Arabic script), Сұлтан (Cyrillic), Султан (Cyrillic), Солтан (Cyrillic). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Sultan have?
Sultan has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 6 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by our editors; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Sultan”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 87896629. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: inherited from Ottoman سلطان, from Arabic سُلْطَان; classified as a unisex given name in Turkish; Sultan appears as a Turkish given name (unisex); from Arabic سُلْطَان (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “سلطان”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93626978. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic سلطان: power, strength; rule; authority
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER English spelling Sultan; KazPER lists Сұлтан
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: سەلتەنەت ئىگىسى، ھۆكۈمران، پادىشاھ; listed as a Uyghur given name (masculine); origin: Arabic (+2 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “сұлтан”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92946870. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Kazakh сұлтан: sultan (Jochid Kazakh prince); etymology of сұлтан
- Wikidata contributors. Wikidata item Q3503530 (Sultan, male given name). Wikimedia Foundation, revision 2365355229. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC0 1.0.
Supports: Wikidata records Turkish as language of the name (P407)
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