This is a list of titles and appellations used in the Ottoman Empire. In place of surnames, Muslims in the Empire carried titles such as "Sultan", "Paşa", "Ağa", "Hoca", "Bey", "Hanım", "Efendi", etc. These titles either defined their formal profession (such as Pasha, Hoca, etc.) or their informal status within the society (such as Bey, Agha, Hanım, Efendi, etc.). Later, family surnames were made mandatory in Turkey by the 1934 Surname Law.
Usage by Ottoman royalty
The sovereigns' main titles were Sultan, Padishah (Emperor) and Khan; which were of various origins such as Arabic, Persian and Turkish or Mongolian, respectively. His full style was the result of a long historical accumulation of titles expressing the empire's rights and claims as successor to the various states it annexed or subdued. Beside these imperial titles, Caesar of Rome (Kayser-i Rûm) was among the important titles claimed by Sultan Mehmed II after the conquest of Constantinople. The title sultan (سلطان), originally meaning "authority" or "dominion", used in an ungendered manner to encompass the whole imperial family, men and women, reflected the Ottoman conception of sovereign power as a "family prerogative". Male dynasty member carried the title before their given name, with female member carrying it after. Nevertheless, when used to refer to female dynasty members and relatives, the title sultan often translated to sultana in outside contexts, possibly to distinguish them from the Ottoman ruler. Hadrah or Hazretleri is honorific Arabic title; a literal translation of Hadrah is "Presence", which is often translated as "Your Highness".
Sovereign
The emperors' formal title consisted of Sultan together with Khan (in Turkish language the word became Han). This dual title symbolized the Ottomans' dual legitimating heritage, Islamic and Central Asian. Formal titles and styles:
Short: Sultan (given name) Han Hazretleri, with the style of hünkarım (my sovereign, equivalent with "Your Imperial Majesty"), padişah efendim (my lord emperor), or sultanım (my sultan)
Çelebi (چلبى). Gentleman. Used before the reign of Mehmed II. Format style: "(given name) Çelebi".
Şehzade or Şehzade Sultan (شاهزاده). Prince of the imperial blood. Format titles and styles:
Short: "Şehzade Sultan (given name)", i.e. Sultan Imperial Prince (given name) or "Şehzade (given name)", i.e. Imperial Prince (given name), with the style of şehzadem (my imperial prince) or efendim (my master).
Full: Devletlû Najabatlu Şehzade Sultan (given name) Hazretleri Efendi
Vali Ahad (vali ahad). Crown Prince. Full titles and styles: Devletlû Najabatlu Valiahd-i Saltanat Şehzade-i Javanbahd (given name) Efendi Hazretleri.
Imperial princess
Female descendants of a sovereign in the male line.
Hatun (خاتون). Lady. Used before 16th century and also used for sultan's mothers and consorts. In the 16th century, title sultan carried by prominent members of the imperial family and hatun carried by lesser female member.
Format style: "(given name) Hatun", i.e. Lady (given name)
Sultan (سلطان). Princess of the imperial blood. Used after 16th century. Formal title:
Short: "(given name) Sultan", i.e. Sultana (given name), with the style of sultanım (my sultan(a)) or efendim (my mistress).
Sultanzade (سلطانزاده). Son of princess of the imperial blood.
Formal title: "Sultanzade (given name) Bey-Efendi", i.e. Sir Prince Sultan (given name)
Hanımsultanخانم سلطان). Daughter of princess of the imperial blood.
Formal title: "(given name) Hanımsultan", i.e. Madam Sultana (given name)
Relative of dynasty member
Imperial mother
Mothers of the reigning sultans
Valide Hatun. Lady mother. Used before 16th century. Formal style: "(given name) Valide Hatun" or "Valide (given name) Hatun", i.e. Lady mother (given name).
Valide Sultan (والدة السلطان). Sultana mother. Used after 16th century. Formal titles and styles:
Short: "(given name) Valide Sultan" or "Valide (given name) Sultan", i.e. Sultana mother (given name), with the style of sultanım (my sultan(a)) or validem (my mother).
Büyük Valide Sultan. Grand or senior sultana mother. Grandmothers of the reigning sultans; first made by Murad III as a gift to his aunt Mihrimah Sultan at the beginning of his reign; later used by Safiye Sultan, during the reigns of her grandsons and great-grandson; last used by Kösem Sultan during the reign of her grandson Sultan Mehmed IV
Imperial female consort
Consorts of the sultan and prince of the blood.
Haseki Sultan (خاصکى سلطان). Sultana consort. Title for the chief consort of the sultan in the 16th century and originally could not be held by more than one consort simultaneously. In later periods, the meaning of the title began to change from chief consort to something more general like a senior imperial consort when Sultan Ibrahim granted this title for his eight consorts. This title was only used until around the 17th century. Formal title:
Short: "(given name) Haseki Sultan" or "Haseki (given name) Sultan", i.e. Sultana consort (given name), with the style of sultanım (my sultan(a)) or efendim (my mistress).
Haseki Kadın. Lady consort. Title for sultan's consort who became mother of the imperial princes. This title was used around 17th century.
Hatun (خاتون). Lady. Also used for imperial princesses and sultans' mothers. In the 16th century, the title sultan was carried by prominent members of the imperial family and hatun was carried by lesser female members.
Format style: "(given name) Hatun", i.e. Lady (given name)
Kadınefendi (قادين افندی). Lady. Title given to main imperial consort of Ottoman sultan from the 17th century. The title was a replacement of the early title hatun.
Format style: "(given name) Kadınefendi", i.e. Lady (given name)
Full titles and styles: Devletlu İsmetlu (given name) (rank) Kadınefendi Hazretleri
Hanımefendi (خانم آفندی). Madam. Title given to the imperial consort of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from the 17th century, who came below the rank of kadınefendi. The title was also given to the official consorts of the imperial princes.
Imperial male consort
Husbands of princess of the blood.
Damad (داماد). Full titles and styles: Damat-i Shahriyari (given name) Bey Efendi.
During the time of Suleiman
Titles and appellations in the time of Suleiman the Magnificent, from Albert Howe Lybyer's book "The government of the Ottoman Empire in the time of Suleiman the Magnificent":
Bostanji-bashi (Ottoman Turkish: بوستانجی باشی, Turkish: bostancıbaşı): The "chief gardener" and head of the palace guard. Equivalent to the rank of pasha.
Çavuşbaşı or Chaush-bashi (Ottoman Turkish: چاووش باشی, Turkish: çavuşbaşı): chief of the Chaushes, and a high court official. Equivalent to the rank of pasha.
Khazinehdar-bashi (Ottoman Turkish: خزانه دار باشی, Modern Turkish: hazinedarbaşı), a treasurer-in-chief.
Khazineh-odassi (chamber of the treasury), the second chamber of pages.
Khojagan, a chief of a treasury bureau.
Kiaya (Cacaia, Cahaia, Caia, Checaya, Chechessi, Chiccaia, Chietcudasci, Gachaia, Ketkhuda, Quaia, Queaya) (common form of ketkhuda), a steward or lieutenant.
Kiaya-bey, the lieutenant of the grand vizier.
Kiaya Katibi, a private secretary of the Kiaya-bey.
Kilerji-bashi, a chief of the sultan's pantry.
Kizlar Aghasi (general of the girls), the black eunuch in charge of the palace of the harem.
Sofi, woolen; a dervish (an appellation of the Shah of Persia).
Softa (Sukhta), an undergraduate in a Medresseh.
Solak (left-handed), a janissary bowman of the sultan's personal guard.
Sipahi (Sipah, Sipahi, Spachi, Spai), a cavalry soldier; a member of the standing or feudal cavalry.
Spahi-oghlan (Spacoillain) (cavalry youth), a member of the highest corps of the standing cavalry.
Subashi, a captain of the feudal cavalry and governor of a town.
Sultan (سلطان), is a word Arabic origin, originally meaning "authority" or "dominion". By the beginning of the 16th century, this title, carried by both men and women of the Ottoman dynasty, was replacing other titles by which prominent members of the imperial family had been known (notably hatun for women and bey for men), with emperor and imperial princes (Şehzade) carrying the title before their given name, with sultan's mother, imperial princesses, and main imperial consort carrying it after. This usage underlines the Ottoman conception of sovereign power as family prerogative.
Tahvil Kalemi, a bureau of the Chancery.
Terjuman, an interpreter (dragoman).
Terjuman Divani Humayun, a chief interpreter of the sultan.
Teshrifatji, a master of ceremonies.
Teskereji, a master of petitions.
Teskereji-bashi (chief of document-writers), the Nishanji.
Agha (or Agha, Ağası): commander, a title junior to Bey and conferred on military officers on a personal basis.
Alp: brave warrior or knight; a title conferred during the early years of Ottoman rule.
Amir al-Hajj: Commander of the Hajj Pilgrimage, a title for the annual commanders of the Hajj pilgrimage caravans from Damascus and Cairo.
Amir ul-Muminin or Emirülmüminin: Commander of the Faithful, one of the many titles of the Sultan.
Ottoman Ayan: local notables or dynasts that maintained different extents of administrative control over swaths of land in the Ottoman Empire from the 16th to the early 19th centuries.
Bey: a title junior to Pasha and conferred on civil and military officers on a personal basis; also borne as a courtesy title for the sons of a Pasha.
Beg, an ancient Turkic administrative title (chieftain, governor etc.).
BeyEffendi: part of the title of a husband and sons of an Imperial Princess.
Beylerbey (or Beglerbegi): Lord of Lords. An office signifying rule over a great province, equivalent to Governor-General. The office entitled the holder to the personal title of Pasha.
Beyzade: son of a Bey, a courtesy title borne by a son of a Bey Effendi.
Binbashi: (literally "Head of 1000") Major (army) or Commander (navy). The holder of the rank enjoyed the title of Effendi.
Cariye: slave concubines, the lowest rank of the women of the harem, and the rank almost all harem women when they first entered the harem.
Çavuş: "messenger", used for two separate soldier professions, both acting as messengers although differing in levels.
Çavuşbaşı or Başçavuş: "head messenger", assistant (or deputy) to the Grand Vizier.
Çelebi: gentleman, a title indicating a high social status
Chiflik Rulers: Compared to Christian feudal system the chiflik rulers controlled land holdings. These land holdings could be passed on to their sons.
Khalif (also Caliph or Khalifa): Successor (of the Prophet).
Khalifat Rasul Rub al-A'alimin: Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the Universe. The highest earthly title of the Muslim world, enjoyed by the Sultans of Turkey after their conquest of Egypt in 1517.
Damad-i-Shahriyari: Imperial son-in-law, title conferred on the husbands of Imperial Princesses.
Damat: was an official Ottoman title describing men that entered the imperial House of Osman by means of marriage, literally becoming the bridegroom to the Ottoman sultan and the dynasty.
Devletlû: a title of imperial gentry.
Divan: was a high government ministry in North Africa.
Dragoman: was an interpreter, translator, and official guide.
Effendi: master, title equivalent to Esquire; frequently used together with higher titles in order to indicate, signify enhanced status. Used by the sons of Sultans from the reign of Sultan 'Abdu'l Majid I.
Ferik: Lieutenant-General (army) or Vice-Admiral (navy). The holder of the rank enjoyed the title of Pasha.
Ghazi: victorious, a title conferred on leaders who distinguish themselves in war.
Gözde: noticed (by the Sultan). Style borne by junior ladies of the Harem when first gaining favour from the Sultan.
Haseki Sultan (خاصکي سلطان): Title borne by Empress Consort (only for Hürrem Sultan) then at the end of the 16th century it is used as the Main Consort or Imperial Consort of the Sultan and in the 17th century it would be used as the Main Woman or Only Favorite.
Hazinedar: The High Hazinedar or First Hazinedar or Hazinedar Usta was a title of the housemistress of the sultan's palace, the most influential person after the prince.
Hospodar: was a title had been held by many vassals of the sultan,
Ikbal or İkbâl (اقبال): title borne by the junior wives of the Sultan in the 19th and 20th century, who came below the rank of Kadın.
Kadın (قادين): Title borne by the senior wives of the Sultan from the late 16th century and early 20th century. The title was a replacement of the early title, Hatun.
Kaimakam: Lieutenant-Colonel (army) or Commander (navy). The holder of the rank enjoyed the title of Bey.
Khan (or Hân): a title signifying sovereign or ruler in Turkey, but a very junior title signifying a male noble, or even a mere name, in other parts of the Muslim world.
Nishan (or Nichan): order of chivalry or decoration of honour.
Padshah (or Padishah): Emperor, one of the many titles of the Sultan of Turkey.
Pasha: Lord, a title senior to that of Bey and conferred on a personal basis on senior civil officials and military officers. Awarded in several grades, signified by a whip, the highest rank being a whip of three yak or horse tails.
Pashazadeh: son of a Pasha, used as an alternative courtesy title to Bey.
Shah-i-Alam Panah: King, refuge of the world, one of the titles of the Sultan.
Shahzada (or Shahzade): son of the King, title used for the sons of Sultans from the reign of Mehmed I.
Shaikh ul-Islam: the title held by the highest ranking Muslim religious official below the Khalif. The office entitled the holder to the personal title of Pasha together the style of His Highness.
Shalabi (or Çelebi): gracious lord, title borne by sons of the Sultan until the reign of Mehmed II.
Sultan: title borne by male members of the Imperial family, particularly after the reign of Mehmed II. When it is used before the given name, together with Khan after the name, it signifies ruler. When used before the name, Imperial Prince. When used after the name, Imperial Princess.
Sultan Khan: The Grand Sultan, the chief title borne by the ruler of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, equivalent to Emperor.
Sultan us-Selatin: Sultan of Sultan, one of the many titles of the Sultan of Turkey.
Sultanzade (or Sultanzada): literally "son of a Sultan", the title borne by the sons of Imperial Princesses.
Vizier-i-Azam: Grand Vizier, the title borne by the incumbent Prime Minister. The office entitled the holder to the personal title of Pasha together the style of His Highness.
Yuzbashi (or Youzbashi): Captain (army) or Lieutenant (navy). The holder of the rank enjoyed the title of Effendi.
