Oğuz (name)

This article is about given name. For other uses, see Oghuz.

Oğuz
Gender	Masculine
Language(s)	Turkish
Origin
Language(s)	Turkish
Word/Name	"ok"
Derivation	1. "ok" 2. "z"
Meaning	1. "arrow", "clan", "nation" 2. plural suffix
Other names
Cognate(s)	Oğuzhan
See also	Oghuz Khan

Oğuz is a common masculine Turkish given name. There are various theories on the meaning of "Oğuz". The most prominent explanation is that it is composed of "ok" and "z". In (modern) Turkish and proto Turkish "ok" means "arrow". Only in proto Turkish, "ok" also means "clan", and/or "nation". Again, only in proto Turkish, "z" is the plural suffix. In modern Turkish "z" is not the plural suffix anymore. Actually, it is not a suffix, in general, in modern Turkish. Therefore "okz" means "clans", "nations", and/or "arrows".

Finally, "Oğuz" is used both as given names and as names of some of the Turkish clans. Oğuz Türks are the southwestern branch of Turkish clan system. "Gökoğuz" was a group of Oğuz Türks who migrated to northwest and named as Gagauz in modern times. There are also groups named as Üçoğuz (Three Oğuz), Sekizoğuz (Eight Oğuz), Dokuzoğuz (Nine Oğuz), etc. One of the earliest rulers of the Turkish people is also named az "Oghuz Khan". As a given name "Oğuz" used in memory of and connotes Oghuz Khan.

Given name

• Oğuz Atay (1934–1977), pioneer of the modern novel in Turkey
• Oğuz Dağlaroğlu (born 1979), Turkish footballer
• Oğuz Tansel (1915–1994), Turkish poet and folklorist
• Oğuz Yılmaz (born 1968), folk musician in Turkey
• Oghuz Khan, legendary khan of Turks, considered to be the ancestor of all Turks

Surname

• Abdullah Oğuz (born 1958), Turkish director
• Cemal Oğuz, Turkish judoka

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

This page or section lists people with the surname Oğuz. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.