Gürkan Explained

Gürkan is a Turkish surname and given name for males. The general meaning is a full-blooded (sanguine), lively person. The name is also associated with leo, hero and brave. The word "Gürkan", is also a Persianized form of the Mongolian word "Kuragan" (or Guregen) meaning "son-in-law".^[1] This was an honorific title used by the Timurid dynasty as the Timurids were in-laws of the line of Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire, as Timur had married Saray Mulk Khanum, a direct descendant of Genghis Khan.

People named Gürkan include:

Given name

• Gürkan Coşkun (1941–2022), Turkish painter
• Gürkan Ekren (born 1974), Turkish football player
• Gürkan Sermeter (born 1974), Swiss football player of Turkish descent
• Gürkan Uygun (born 1974), Turkish actor

Middle name

• Mehmet Gürkan Öztürk (born 1989), Turkish footballer

Surname

• Aydın Güven Gürkan (1941–2006), Turkish academic and politician
• Cevat Gürkan (1907–1984), Turkish equestrian
• Emrah Safa Gürkan (born 1981), Turkish historian and academic
• Fatoş Gürkan (born 1966), Turkish lawyer and politician
• Recep Gürkan (born 1964), Turkish politician
• Selma Gürkan (born 1961), Turkish unionist and politician
• Umut A. Gurkan, Turkish–American engineer

Notes and References

1. A History of the Muslim World Since 1260: The Making of a Global Community, by Vernon Egger, p. 193