List of Ottoman titles and appellations

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.