Byzantine Name Turkel: Etymology and Sociocultural Context
Journal: GRAPHOSPHAERA Writing and Written Practices
Year: 2026

This article substantiates the etymology of the Byzantine name Turkel, derived from the Old Norse name Thorkell (Þórkell) or its Old English Thurkil(l), Norman Torchetil / Turchetil, and Old Russian *Тоуръкелъ derivatives. Accordingly, the bearers of this name could have come from the Scandinavian Peninsula, the British Isles, southern Italy, or Rus’. The first of these, known from seals, was an interpreter, while the second bore two names Theodore and Tur-kel. It is possible that the interprete