Surname Bilican - Meaning and Origin

Bilican: What does the surname Bilican mean?

The last name Bilican is of Turkish origin and it is thought to derive from the name Billikan, which also means ‘leader’ in Turkish. The name is connected to the ancient city of Bilican, which was located in Anatolia and is now part of the modern Turkish province of Kayseri. The city was an important center during the Roman Empire, and also a cloth-weaving center during the Byzantine and Seljuk empires. This would make sense, since the name Billikan is derived from the Old Turkic word ‘bilik’, meaning ‘cloth’.

Bilicans were known as great leaders in the region. Families bearing the name were typically distinguished for their efforts in promoting education, commerce, and politics. They were known for nurturing tolerant education systems and running thriving businesses. They were also quite influential in politics, playing a major role in the region’s history.

Bilicans have spread all over the world today, and the name Bilikan often carries a connotation of strength, ambition, and leadership. It’s an apt surname for someone with those qualities, and perhaps a reminder to keep striving for excellence in their endeavors.

Bilican: Where does the name Bilican come from?

The last name Bilican is most commonly found in Turkey today. It is associated with Turkish origin, although its roots date back to the ancient Middle Ages. It was commonly found in Anatolia until the 19th century when many people of Turkish origin migrated to other parts of the world.

The population of people bearing the name Bilican is distributed across Turkey, the Middle East and Europe, with the highest concentration in the areas of Anatolia and Thrace. The most populous areas in Turkey for this surname are Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, with Istanbul having the highest concentration of people with the last name Bilican.

Smaller populations of individuals with the last name Bilican can also be found in other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Research suggests that the majority of Bilicans now residing outside of Turkey are descendants of 19th-century migrants, which speaks to the dynamic history of this surname and the adaptability of its holders.

The last name Bilican is still common in its original homeland of Turkey today, however, due to its owners' migration around the world, it has become an increasingly common name in many of the western countries as well.

Variations of the surname Bilican

The surname Bilican is believed to have a southern European origin with variants being Bilićanin, Bilic, Bilić, Bilich, Bilicić, and Bilićić.

The surname Bilican is derived from the Old South Slavic name Biličan which is a toponymic name that is believed to come from the name of a medieval settlement or town in the area of today's Croatia. This name contains the root element ‘bili’, which is derived from the word for ‘white’.

In some instances, the surname Bilican has been Anglicized as Belgrade, Bellgrade or Bluegrade. In other cases, the name is spelled Bilić, which is one of the most common variants around Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia, while Bilićić or Bilicić is a combination that is found mainly in Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia.

The same surname can also be found in Italy and Slovenia. In Italy, the surname is spelled Biličan, Biličič, Biliččić, Belíččić, Bilíččić, or Bilíčič, while in Slovenia it is spelled Biličan, Bilič, Biličič, Bilíččič, Beliččič, or Beličič.

Surnames that are believed to be of the same origin are Bilićanin, Bilić, Bilich, Bilicić, Bilićić, Belgrade, Bellgrade, Bluegrade, Biličič, Biliččić, Belíččić, Bilíččić, Bilíčič, Biličan, Bilič, Biličič, Bilíččič, Beliččič and Beličič.

Famous people with the name Bilican

• Özge Bilican: Entrepreneur, TV Presenter and Podcaster from Istanbul, Turkey.
• Gary Bilican: Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Founder of the Bilican Foundation in Canada.
• Bilican Ausbaev: Physicist from Uzbekistan.
• Mert Bilican: Turkish Actor.
• Till Bilican: German Filmmaker.
• Ahmet Bilican: Turkish Entrepreneur and Founder of Estel Bilişim Ltd.
• Michel Bilican: French Actor.
• Melissa Bilican: Brazilian Singer and Songwriter.
• Funda Bilican: Turkish Actress.
• Alexandru Bilican: Romanian Folk Singer.
• Mustafa Bilican: Turkish Film Producer.
• Sülbiye Bilican: Turkish Actress.
• Yann Bilican: French Soccer Player.
• Mark Bilican: American Performance Artist.
• Kathryn Bilican: Canadian Lawyer and Professor.
• Nikola Bilican: Serbian Poet.
• Anna Bilican: Ukrainian-American Celebrity and Activist in New York.
• Allegra Bilican: TV Producer and Media Executive in London.
• Mustafa Erol Bilican: Turkish Politician and Environmental Activist.
• Fadime Bilican: Turkish Actress.

Other surnames

Bilici