Surname Uzunkaya - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'U'
Uzunkaya: What does the surname Uzunkaya mean?
The last name Uzunkaya is of Turkish origin. Its literal translation is "bitter water." This family name has a long and varied history, tracing back to several distinct cultural and geographical regions.
The first part of the name, "Uzun," is itself derived from the Turkish language and means "long." This could be in reference to families being in the same area for a long period of time or a slurring of the phrase "uzundere" which means "a place of long flowing water."
The second part of the name, "Kaya," is also from the Turkish language and means "rock." This may refer to a rocky terrain that the family had inhabited for generations or may indicate that the Uzunkaya family was once a nomadic group who dwelled in the mountains and hills of Turkey.
The combination of the two words in the family name Uzunkaya can thus represent the combination of hard lives and difficult terrain that the family has endured over time. It could also represent the obstacles that the family has overcome in order to achieve success.
Despite the potential hardships associated with the last name Uzunkaya, many members of this family have achieved great success. It is likely that this was stated with a sense of pride and resilience in the face of adversity. As such, the last name Uzunkaya is a symbol of strength, endurance, and determination.
Order DNA origin analysisUzunkaya: Where does the name Uzunkaya come from?
The last name Uzunkaya is commonly found in Turkey and other countries in the Middle East. It has also been recorded in other countries including Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Kuwait, and Iraq. It is also found in other parts of Europe, including Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Poland, and Kosovo. Uzunkaya is an old Turkish surname, and was especially common in Central Anatolia, with many families living in the region before WWI. It is believed to have originated in the city of Karacabey in the Bursa province. The family is said to have once belonged to a land-owning class in Bursa, but after a decline in their fortunes, most of them moved away to the surrounding provinces.
Today, descendants of these families can still be found from Istanbul to Ankara, mainly in the cities of Gaziantep, Maras, and Kahramanmaraş. Since some of the family members of the Uzunkaya clan emigrated to Europe, particularly Romania and Bulgaria, small numbers of Uzunkaya's can also be found in these countries. However, since the last name is not incredibly common outside of Turkey and the Middle East, Uzbekkaya's outside of these regions are usually the descendents of emigrants from Turkey.
Variations of the surname Uzunkaya
The surname Uzunkaya is a Turkish surname and is most often seen spelled as Özünkaya. It is sometimes spelled Ozergun and other variants increasing in rarety include Ucergün, Ozerkan, Ozungen, Özgün, Özüngen, and Özüngün.
The word 'uzer' in Turkish means "one who is above, higher, superior to others" and thus the name Uzunkaya could be roughly translated to mean "the one who is above/higher."
Although it is a Turkish surname, Uzunkaya is also commonly seen as a variation of the surname Ankayan in some Romanian cultures, and can be seen spelled as Încâian or Încăian.
In Croatia, Uzunkaya is commonly spelled as Ozmijan, meaning " values above all values". It is also seen as Osmančić or Osmančijva, which roughly translates to "son of Osman."
In some French speaking cultures this surname is seen as Ouzounkoff, which is derived from its original Turkish spelling. The Ukrainian version of this name is Ozunchak, which is spelt using a Cyrillic alphabet and is derived from the surname's original Turkish spelling.
Uzunkaya is a surname with many variants from different cultures, each with slightly different spellings and meanings, but all deriving from the same original Turkish surname.
Famous people with the name Uzunkaya
- Suat Uzunkaya: Turkish film and television actor
- Ferit Uzunkaya: Turkish footballer
- Mutlu Uzunkaya:Turkish composer and performer
- Pınar Uzunkaya: Turkish actress and model
- Seda Uzunkaya: Turkish fashion designer
- Hakan Uzunkaya: Turkish singer and songwriter
- Ertan Uzunkaya: Turkish biochemist and professor at the University of Uludag
- Burak Uzunkaya: Turkish film and television actor
- Ibrahim Uzunkaya: Turkish restaurateur and author
- Furkan Uzunkaya: Turkish application developer and entrepreneur