16th-century Ottoman Turkish names were divided along religious lines, with Muslims, Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Apostolic Christians, and Jews having separate naming pools with very little overlap. Slaves, especially female slaves, often received names that set them apart from free people, adding another layer of complexity. See the Section Menu for all the pages of names on this site.
To clear up a common misconception: Ottoman Turkey IS NOT the Ottoman Empire. Although the Ottoman dynasty ruled vast lands, many of them Arab, the Ottoman people were Turkic, not Arab. As part of adopting Islam, they adopted Islamic law and script, and they incorporated Arabic into the polyglot mess that was the Ottoman Turkish language, but there was always a gap between Ottoman Turkish culture and the culture of the Arab lands they ruled.
Part of this gap was reflected in naming traditions. The Ottoman Turks adopted Arabic names, but they fit the names into their own naming structure. The complex naming structure of contemporary Arabic societies does not apply.
At all.
Not even a little.
Not even for nicknames. Especially not for nicknames. Not only are Turkish nicknames constructed differently, with the descriptor coming before the name rather than after, but Turkish nicknames are simple. Arabs had nicknames like Harun the Rightly-Guided and Ahmed the Radiant. Turks had nicknames like Bald Sinan, Blond Mehmed, and Sheep-Eyed Murad.
This means that people who come up with an Arabic name, then want to Turkify it, are in a tight spot. Eventually, I’ll have a guide to how to do it. In the meantime, find me on Facebook and message me for help.
Notes on Reading Ottoman Turkish
Transliteration of Ottoman Turkish
Turkish and Ottoman Studies Research Guide: Language Tools
(T) Hatice ŞAHİN, “An Introduction To The Language Used In The Bursa Judge Records”