Tarkan means “noble title, chieftain”. It probably comes from Old Turkic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish.
- Tarkan is a name of Turkic origin.
- It is recorded for Turkish.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 6 letters.
What does Tarkan mean?
Literal meaning
Tarkan is recorded on Wiktionary as a Turkish male given name. Its meaning and origin have not yet been checked against the sources for this site, so no meaning is given here until that research is done.[1]
variant Tarhan
Meaning themes: Leadership and nobility
Tarkan in Turkish
What does Tarkan mean in Turkish?
In Turkish the name is written Tarkan. No separate Turkish gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “noble title, chieftain” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
Where does the name Tarkan come from?
Old Turkic, native word. From Old Turkic.Editorial · likely (Meaning from TurkicNames' editorial research; not yet linked to a cited source.)
Is Tarkan a Turkish name?
Yes. Tarkan is documented as a given name in Turkish. It is built from Turkic words.
Tarkan across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish | TarkanLatin | Boy | same as above: “noble title, chieftain” | Documented[1] |
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 Tarkan
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarkan[1] | Turkish | Latin | Native spelling |
Names related to Tarkan
Names with a similar meaning
- AbayhanBoy“careful khan”
- Abdu'amirBoy“flourishing, one who brings prosperity; commander, one who orders”
- AbdulmalikBoy“wealthy, master, ruler”
- AbdulmelikBoy“servant of God, King of all”
- AbdumalikBoy“servant of the King”
- AbdumerdiBoy“noble, brave person”
- Abduqa'idBoy“a commander”
- AbduseyyidBoy“master, lord, sir, teacher, prophet; servant of the master”
Sibling names for Tarkan
Names recorded for the same language (Turkish) that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Tarkan rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- NecileGirl“of noble descent”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- AkbekBoy“pure lord”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- AtahanBoy“ancestral khan”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- UçkaraBoy“a bird; a commander of Timur”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- BarsbayBoy“panther lord”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- ErhanBoy“brave (man) + ruler”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- GülşerifGirl“noble rose”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
- İltekinBoy“prince of the realm”same language (turkish) · also shares the theme leadership and nobility
Common questions about Tarkan
What does the name Tarkan mean?
Tarkan means “noble title, chieftain”. It probably comes from Old Turkic. It is documented as a boy's name in Turkish.
Is Tarkan a girl's or a boy's name?
Tarkan is recorded as a boy's name.
Where does Tarkan come from?
Tarkan is of Old Turkic origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Tarkan?
Tarkan is recorded for Turkish. 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 many syllables does Tarkan have?
Tarkan 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 “Tarkan”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92973770. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: classified as a male given name in the Turkish section; listed as a male given name in the Turkish section; headword of the Turkish given-name entry is “Tarkan”
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