Find out how popular the last name Çetinkaya is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Çetinkaya.

Çetinkaya, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Çetinkaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Çetinkaya in America

Çetinkaya is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Çetinkaya surname appeared 103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Çetinkaya.

The history of the last name Çetinkaya

The surname CETINKAYA originates from Turkey and has its roots in the Turkish language. It is a compound word formed by combining "cetin" meaning "tough" or "hardy" and "kaya" meaning "rock" or "cliff." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a rocky area or displayed a strong, resilient character.

CETINKAYA can be traced back to the Anatolian region, which has a long and rich history dating back to ancient civilizations like the Hittites, Phrygians, and Lydians. The name likely emerged during the Turkish migration and settlement in Anatolia, which began in the 11th century AD with the Seljuk Turks.

Historically, surnames were not commonly used in Turkey until the early 20th century when the Turkish government introduced the Surname Law in 1934, requiring all citizens to adopt family names. Before this, people were typically identified by their given name, their father's name, and sometimes a descriptive epithet or a place of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CETINKAYA can be found in the Ottoman Empire's tax records (tahrir defterleri) from the 16th century, where it appears as a designation for certain villages or settlements situated near rocky terrain.

Several notable individuals have borne the surname CETINKAYA throughout history:

1. Hüseyin Avni Cetinkaya (1891-1980), a Turkish diplomat and ambassador to various countries, including the United Kingdom and France.

2. Şükrü Cetinkaya (1909-1980), a Turkish politician and former Minister of National Education.

3. Ömer Faruk Cetinkaya (1920-1983), a prominent Turkish architect known for designing several significant buildings in Ankara and Istanbul.

4. Yaşar Cetinkaya (1934-2015), a renowned Turkish singer and actor who performed in numerous films and television series.

5. Murat Cetinkaya (born 1964), a Turkish businessman and the founder of the Cetinkaya Holding Company, which operates in various sectors including construction, energy, and tourism.

The name CETINKAYA has also been associated with various place names across Turkey, such as villages, towns, and geographical features, reflecting the strong connection between the surname and the rugged, rocky landscapes of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Çetinkaya

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Çetinkaya.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Çetinkaya was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Çetinkaya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Çetinkaya, please contact us.

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