Surname Sakarya - Meaning and Origin
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Sakarya: What does the surname Sakarya mean?
The last name Sakarya is of Turkish origin, and among the earliest known records of the surname dates back to the Ottoman empire. It is a combination of two Turkish words – ‘Sakar,’ which means ‘bitter,’ and ‘Ya,’ which means ‘river.’ The combination can be interpreted to mean ‘bitter river.’
The Sakarya river is a major body of water in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is also referred to as the ‘Sakarya Nehri’ in Turkish, meaning the ‘river of bitterness’. It is believed that whoever holds this name has ancestral connections to the region of the same name.
There is no consensus about the actual origin of the name Sakarya but according to some accounts, it may have been derived from the ancient Latin word ‘saccum’ which meant ‘sack’ or ‘bag’, signifying the river’s high-flowing state.
Today, the name Sakarya has spread to many parts of the world, particularly those with a strong Turkish-speaking population. The city of Sakarya in Turkey is one of the most populous cities in the country, inhabited by more than one million people and used as a major port. Beyond Turkey, the Sakarya name has made its way to Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In short, the Sakarya last name may refer to someone from the region of Sakarya in Turkey or even have a metaphysical connotation, with the ‘river of bitterness’ thought to symbolize someone’s struggles in life.
Order DNA origin analysisSakarya: Where does the name Sakarya come from?
Sakarya is a common Turkish surname originating in the Sakarya Province of Turkey, located between Istanbul and Ankara on the Black Sea. The main ethnic group in the area is Turkish and the name Sakarya is thought to be derived from the Turkish word ‘sekeri’ which means sweet.
Sakarya is a very popular surname in the provinces of Sakarya, Kocaeli, and Bolu, as well as in the city of Istanbul. The surname is also common in other parts of Turkey due to large-scale migration, with many families having moved across the country to major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.
Outside of Turkey, Sakarya is a common name in parts of Europe, the Middle East, and particularly in Germany, where many German Turks have adopted it. It's also common among people of Turkish descent in countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
The last name Sakarya has become more known in recent years due to the popular Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk, who won the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature and whose father's last name is Sakarya. This too may have been a catalyst for more people picking up the surname across the world.
Variations of the surname Sakarya
The surname Sakarya has a few variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant is Sakarja, while the other variants are Sakarjă, Sakarja, Sakary, Saakari, Saakarijä and Saakariyä. All these variants are found in different parts of the world, including Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East.
In Eastern Europe, this surname is mostly found in Russia and the Ukraine, where it is also known as Sakary. In Russia, it can be spelled as Sakaarya or Sakar'ya. In Ukraine, it is usually spelled as Sakaaria or Sakaar'ia. In the Middle East, it is mostly found in countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. It is also widely used in the Republic of Georgia, where it is spelled as Sakar'ya or Sakary.
In the United States, this surname can also be found in the form of Saakari and Saakarijä. The spelling Saakariyä is found in parts of Finland, while Saakarijä is found in Estonia and Latvia. It is also found in North America in the form of the surname Sakara.
Due to religious reasons, the spelling Sakary is used as an alternative spelling for the name when arranged marriage is involved. It is the spelling used in Muslim countries as it is similar to the name of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter's name, Bibi Sakariyah.
Overall, the surname Sakarya can be found in various forms around the world, with the variant Sakarja being the most common.
Famous people with the name Sakarya
- Gökçen Sakarya: a Turkish artist and illustrator
- Gülşen Dişli Sakarya: a Turkish doctor, former politician and cabinet Minister
- Recep Sakarya: a Turkish actor, host, writer and improviser
- Muharrem İnce: a politician and former mayor from Sakarya
- Enes Kanter: a Turkish-American professional basketball player
- Bülent Korkmaz: a Turkish film director and screenwriter
- İlhan Kesici: a Turkish journalist and television presenter
- Sönmez Önal: a Turkish psychologist
- Levent Uyar: a Turkish journalist, author and TV producer
- Eşref Kürcan: a Turkish referee and former professional soccer player