# Surname "Gizli" and similar



## sotos

Greetings. Some Greeks  have a surname that in latin can be transliterated as "Gizlis" or "Tzizlis". I see also that some Armenians are called "Gizliyan" or "Gizlian". Does this name come from Turk. "gizli" (=secret) or other turkish word? Is this name born by Turkish citizens? Thanks for any answers.


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## alibey71

I don't think so, because the word "gizli" is not a common name or surname in Turkey, just as "secret" is not a common surname in English speaking countries.


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## Torontal

Honestly there doesn't seem to be enough info, how are they actually written in Greek or Armenian? Also how do we know Gizlis and Tzizlis are of the some origin? The Greek "tz" (τζ ?) would correspond with the Turkish "c" sound, not with "g" (think about _tzatziki_ vs. _cacık _) if i'm not mistaken. Although I don't know any adjective to which it could correspond. About the Armenian name too, there are Eastern vs. Western Armenian dialects, Eastern Armenian "g" is "k" in Western Armenian, so which is the original there, Kizliyan or Gizliyan? (. I could speculate maybe this name has something to do with _kızlı_ someone having a daughter? But I have no idea...)
Personally I would look out in Greek or Armenian etymological dictionaries (if i could speak those languages ) or try to track down the earliest attestations of these names in their respective languages.

+ keep in mind that modern Turkish family names are from the Republican era (1934, Surname Law), so pointless to try to compare Greek or Armenian family names with them which are probably older...


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## sotos

Thanks for the answer. I think the greek variant closer to the turkish word is ΓΚΙΖΛΗΣ (ΓΚ like in Gift), although we cannot exclude a local non-standard pronounciation with "TZ". The name is encountered mainly in Macedonia, where are lots of families that came from Turkey in 1924 or earlier. This is not to be found in etymological dictionaries. We are doing an "original research".


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## sotos

alibey71 said:


> I don't think so, because the word "gizli" is not a common name or surname in Turkey, just as "secret" is not a common surname in English speaking countries.


Certainly doesn't exist in english speaking countries. However, it could be the turkish translation of "Κρυφός", a generic name for some cryptochristian or double-faith communities. (page 416, "kryfoi" : The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East
The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East )​


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## Torontal

sotos said:


> Certainly doesn't exist in english speaking countries. However, it could be the turkish translation of "Κρυφός", a generic name for some cryptochristian or double-faith communities. (page 416, "kryfoi" : The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East
> The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East )​


However as a family name it would sound odd, I mean as I imagine it, the point of being a crypto-religious person is to conceal it, not advertising it in the surname. I wonder if we have analogies for this in other languages.


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## sotos

Torontal said:


> However as a family name it would sound odd, I mean as I imagine it, the point of being a crypto-religious person is to conceal it, not advertising it in the surname. I wonder if we have analogies for this in other languages.


This is a much debated point when we come to the "Kryfo Scholio" (Secret School) of Greeks. History proves that in many cases the crypto-something was not entirely cryptic, but some knew it. This name or appelation could be more openly used when the restricions were not existing any more, like in some period during the Tanzimat. I already mentioned the possible analogy in armenian. I see in google that there is a name "_Gizlioğlu" _in Turkey, but seems to be rare.
Thank you all for the answers. I think I can conclude that there is no other turkish word that sounds close to "gizli" and would make sense as a family name.


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