Surname Serbest - Meaning and Origin
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Serbest: What does the surname Serbest mean?
The last name Serbest can be traced to the Romani people of South Asia. Serbest is a Turkish, Romani term meaning "free" or "fairy-like." It is believed to have originated from the Turkish word serbestkul, which means "unrestrained or wild," which is likely derived from the Sanskrit term sapphire (सप्रीस). The Romani people are known for their nomadic lifestyle, which likely made them more free or unrestricted in society than other ethnic groups.
In some areas of the United States today, the last name Serbest is found among families of Eastern European ancestry. In the United States, people with the last name Serbest are generally descendants of Romani immigrants who entered the United States between 1870 and 1920.
In both Romania and Bulgaria, the last name Serbest is derived from the Romani term sarbest, meaning "free man." This term is still used to refer to those living a free lifestyle.
The last name Serbest has a fascinating origin story — it’s a symbol of freedom and emancipation from the restrictions of society. It’s a reminder of the nomadic lifestyle of the Romani people, and the perseverance they showed to build a better life for themselves in a new land.
Order DNA origin analysisSerbest: Where does the name Serbest come from?
The last name Serbest is most prevalent today in Turkey and the countries of the former Ottoman Empire, especially those in the Middle East and Central Asia. According to DNA analysis, Serbest is an ancient surname that originated in eastern Anatolia, in present-day southeastern Turkey. It is likely of Kurdish or Persian origin, though the exact meaning of the name is unclear.
In Turkey, the Serbest surname is present in every province of the country. However, it is particularly prominent in the east of the country, where around 5-6% of the current population carries it. Interestingly, Serbest is also a popular last name in the USA, where it is carried mostly by people of Turkish descent, as well as members of the Kurdish-American community.
Other countries where the Serbest last name is common today include Iraq, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan, and some parts of Russia and Georgia. In the rest of the world, the name is much rarer, but there are some smaller clusters of the Serbest surname in places such as the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia.
In sum, the Serbest surname is most common today in Turkey and the former Ottoman Empire, but it is also present in various countries of the world.
Variations of the surname Serbest
The surname Serbest is considered a German name, originating from the region of Serbia. The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin include Särbst, Serbast, Sairbst, Sercst, Serbeest, and Særbst. It is also closely linked to the surnames Särbs, Serbas, Szarbs, Szairbs, and Sarbus.
Serbest is an ethnic Germanic surname which is derived from the old Germanic personal name Serb, with the suffix ‘est’ meaning ‘steep’. It is assumed to originate from a named location such as a mountain, a forest or a hill. Therefore, the name may have referred to a steep hill or a mountain.
The earliest recorded form of the surname is found in the region of Serbast (now modern Serbia) in 1166, when a family of Serbast were under the rule of the Preobrezhenskiy Princely family.
In addition, researchers have also found records of the surname in Hungary during the 13th century. During that period, numerous members of the Sercst family were documented in the deed books of Borsod county, located in Hungary.
The spelling of the surname differed throughout the years and throughout various Germanic-speaking countries. In Hungary, individuals with the surname written as Sercst and Sarbus were recorded. In Germany, individuals with the surname written as Särbst and Særbst were documented.
Finally, records have indicated that the surname has become quite popular in the United States. In the 1880s, numerous individuals with the surname Serbest immigrated to the US with the largest concentration in the Midwest.
In total, the surname Serbest has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These spellings differ depending on the location and the time period of the individuals carrying the surname.
Famous people with the name Serbest
- Mariana Serbest: a Romanian TV presenter and actress.
- Orçun Serbest: a German actor and musician.
- Still Waters: a pseudonymous Austrian trance music producer.
- Omer Serbest: a former Kurdish politician associated with the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) in Iraq.
- Saro Serbest: a Kurdish Peshmerga fighter and survivor of the Shingal massacre.
- Rojin Serbest: a Kurdish singer.
- Recep Serbest: a Turkish-Kurdish footballer.
- Tolga Serbest: a Turkish football player.
- Tülay Serbest: a Turkish TV actress.
- Can Serbest: a Turkish jazz musician.
- Topal Osman Serbest: a Turkish politician and general.
- Tefik Serbest: a Turkish politician and Member of Parliament.
- Sabahattin Serbest: a Turkish journalist and editor.
- Ahmet Serbest: a Turkish-German poet.
- Yakup Serbest: a Turkish footballer.
- Onur Serbest: a Turkish professional basketball player.
- Ebru Serbest: a Turkish singer and songwriter.
- Humay Serbest: a Kurdish singer-songwriter.
- Ebubekir Serbest: a Kurdish politician and public servant, associated with the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
- Bedran Serbest: a Kurdish writer and journalist.