Surname Arikan - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'A'
Arikan: What does the surname Arikan mean?
The last name Arikan is of Turkish origin and it is derived from the Persian word “Arik”, which means “the king” or “ruler”. As such, the name can be translated to mean “descendant of the ruler” or “son of the king”. The suffix -an is often added to denote a patronymic or family name in the Turkish language.
The Arikan family is believed to have originated from the Ottoman Empire. Over time, the family moved to different parts of the world and today can be found mainly in Europe and the Middle East.
As with other Turkish surnames, Arikan is often associated with different Turkish professions and locations. In the early 19th century in Turkey, it became customary to take on a profession-based last name and people would often choose to adopt their father’s trade, like the Arikans. This means that those with the surname Arikan may have originally been professional rulers or leaders.
In more modern times, Arikan is also associated with the southeastern region of Anatolia in Turkey where the largest population of the family still lives today.
Overall, the last name Arikan is reflective of someone of Turkish origin who is of royal or leader stature, making it an interesting family name to bear.
Order DNA origin analysisArikan: Where does the name Arikan come from?
The last name Arikan is most common today in Turkey, particularly in its eastern and southeastern regions. It is the seventh most common last name in Turkey, according to population estimates. Outside of Turkey, the name is still fairly uncommon but can be found in some numbers throughout Europe and the United States. There are even some occurrences found in China and India.
The origin of the last name Arikan is not well-defined, but it is likely of Turkic origin, as is typical for most commonly used last names in Turkey. It is possible that the name is related to the Turkish word "arikan", generally defined as "well-to-do" or "wealthy". This may explain why the name is more common in the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey; these areas are more prosperous and typically have a higher percentage of people with higher incomes.
Outside of Turkey, Arikans can be found in some small numbers in many parts of the world, including in Europe. It is estimated that there are around 500 individuals with the last name Arikan living in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Many of these Arikans have likely originated from Turkey or other parts of the Middle East.
In the United States, the Arikans are certainly a minority. The last name Arikan can be found in some numbers in the New York/New Jersey area as well as in Florida and California. It is estimated that there are only around 200 individuals living in the United States with the last name Arikan. This is certainly a small number compared to the amount of people with the last name in Turkey, but it is also evidence of the growing diversity of immigrants from around the world entering the United States.
Variations of the surname Arikan
Arikan is an ancient surname associated with Anatolia, the peninsula in Western Asia, and the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is likely to have originated from the Turkish word "arik" which means "army leader" or "soldier".
The most common spelling of Arikan is Arikan, but other variants include Aricam, Arikhan, Ariken, Arikkhan, and Arikanli. All of these spellings trace back to the same origin.
In some cases, an 'A' at the beginning of Arikan is substituted with an 'O', making the spelling Orikan. Occasionally, the 'A' is replaced with an 'E', changing the spelling to Erikan.
Other variations on the surname that can still be traced back to the same origin exist due to linguistic and cultural influences. The suffix 'oglu/oglu' is often added to the end of Arikan to create variants such as Arıkanoğlu and Arıkanoğlu. The suffix ' -zade' can also be added to the beginning or end of the surname, resulting in Arıkânzade and Arıkanzade.
In the Caucasus region, Arikan is also spelled and pronounced differently. Variants of Arikan include Arıkanyan, Arıkanyanı, Arıkanov, Arıkandov, Arıkanev, Arıalev and Arıaliev.
Due to centuries of migrations from Anatolia, many people with the surname Arikan live in countries other than Turkey.
In the Netherlands, Austria, Germany and the United States, the spelling Arikan is often changed to Arikan or Erkan, and is sometimes Anglicized to Airkhan or Erkhan.
These are some of the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin that have developed from the ancient Arikan.
Famous people with the name Arikan
- Ahmet Arıkan: Turkish journalist, author, and academic.
- İbrahim Ethem Arıkan: Turkish painter.
- Kazim Arıkan: Turkish film director.
- Celalettin Arıkan: Turkish Olympic athlete.
- Servet Arıkan: Turkish actor.
- Nuri Arıkan: Turkish Olympian runner.
- Gökçen Benli Arıkan: Turkish singer and composer.
- Serhat Arıkan: Turkish professional basketball player.
- Kemal Arıkan: Turkish swimmer.
- Cem Arıkan: Turkish music producer and artist.
- Elif Arıkan: Turkish-German model, actress, and television presenter.
- Ayca Arıkan:Turkish volleyball player.
- Hale Arıkan: Turkish actress and model
- Aslı Arıkan: Turkish actress.
- Serkan Arıkan: Turkish Olympian runner