Gyula is a Hungarian male given name of presumably Turkic origin. Its meaning is 'torch'. It was revived in the 19th century when it was mistakenly identified with the Latin name Julius.

History

Initially, it was a title within the Hungarian tribal alliance, but after establishing the Kingdom of Hungary, it evolved into a personal and placename. In the written sources from the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century, variations such as Giula, Geula, Gula, and Iula are already present. It became rare in the 16th century and almost disappeared. The name was revived during the 19th century when it was mistakenly believed to be derived from the Latin Julius. As a result, its female counterpart became Júlia. In 1823, István Széchenyi wrote: "Count Károly Andrássy and Countess Etelka Szápáry's son is the first Hungarian child in centuries to be baptized as Gyula."

Etymology

The etymology of the name is disputed, however it is traditionally considered of Turkic origin. According to Lóránd Benkő, the word originates from Old Turkic, presumably from the Khazar language. Benkő assumed a *ǰula form derived from a Turkic word meaning 'torch.' Related words of Turkic origin can be found in the Hungarian language: gyúl (to catch fire, to be ignited) cf. West Old Turkic: *jul; East Old Turkic: *yul. András Róna-Tas and Árpád Berta also consider the latter to be a Turkic word. Dániel Németh suggested that the word may have Uralic origins. He derives it from the Finno-Ugric *ćȣlkɜ-, ćȣ̈lkɜ- (shines, gleam, glitter) and the Ugricčittɜ- (shine, illuminate) words. However, this theory was criticized by János B. Szabó and Balázs Sudár:

As a settlement name

The name often appears as a Hungarian toponym as well in the Carpathian Basin, in former territory of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Notable persons

Sources