Gender Masculine Language(s) Turkish Derivation 1. "oğuz"
2. "han" | Language(s) Turkish Word/name "oğuz" | |
Meaning 1. "arrows", "clans", "nations"
2. "khan" | ||
Oğuzhan is a common masculine Turkish given name. "Oğuzhan" is composed of two words, "Oğuz" and "han"; Oğuz is a given name, while "han" means literally "khan". Thus, "Oğuzhan" means "Oğuz khan". The modern name derives from the name and title of Oghuz Khagan, a legendary Turkic leader.
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 as well as Proto-Turkic, "ok" means "arrow". However, in Proto-Turkic, "ok" also means "clan" or "nation". Again, only in Proto-Turkic, "-z" is the plural suffix. Therefore "okz" means "clans", "nations", or "arrows" in Proto-Turkic. In modern Turkish, "-z" is not the plural suffix anymore, having been replaced with "-lar" and "-ler".
"Oğuz" was used both as given names and as names of some of the Turkish clans. Oghuz Turks are the southwestern branch of Turkish clan system. "Gökoğuz" was a group of Oghuz Turks who migrated to northwest and were the ancestors of the modern Gagauz people. There are also groups named as Üçoğuz (Three Oğuz), Sekizoğuz (Eight Oğuz), Dokuzoğuz (Nine Oğuz), etc.