Kurmanji Kurds
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 20,222,890 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Turkey
|
15,000,000 |
 Iraq
|
2,800,000 (2004) |
 Iran
|
350,000 (1988) |
 Syria
|
938,000 (1993) |
 Armenia
|
45,000 (2002) |
 Azerbaijan
|
20,000 (1989) |
 Georgia
|
40,000 (1991) |
 Lebanon
|
215,000 |
 Turkmenistan
|
20,000 (1962) |
 Kazakhstan
|
38,325 (2011 census) 46,000–150,000 |
| Languages | |
|
Kurdish (Northern Kurdish, Central Kurdish and Dimily) |
|
| Religion | |
| Islam, Zoroastrianism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Kurdish kinfolks, Iranian peoples | |
The Kurmanji Kurds (Kurdish: Kurdên Kurmancî, Кöрдэн Кöрманщи, کوردێن کورمانجی) or simple Kurmanj (Kurdish: Kurmanc, Кöрманщ, کورمانج) are a subgroup of Kurdish people, they live primarily in northern parts of Kurdistan (from Sarhad to Hakkari and to Upper Mesopotamia) and in Anatolia (Turkey), north of Mukrian and in Khorasan (Iran), in Bahdinan region of Kurdistan (Iraq) also in northern parts over the Syrian Arab Republic.
The Kurmanjis (or their Ancestors) were from Mannea, Kortsayk and Mardpetakan, they inhabited the regions from lake Urmia to the Tigris river. Since they converted to Islam, many Kurmanji dynasties expand toward north, northwest and to the west, the Marwanids ruled from Sophene (Diarbakr) to lake Van and the Shaddadids ruled the regions between Aras and Kura rivers also over Armenia and Shirvan.
According to M. Izady, The name Kurmanc could mean Mannean Kurds, Kurd and Manna, the Manneans lived in the region west of lake Urmia.
The regional pronunciations of "Kurmanj" are; Kurmanc, Qurmanc, Kirmanc and Kurdmanc.
More than 20 million people speaks the northern Dialect of Kurdish, and live in the countries of Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and other states of central Asia, but the majority is in Kurdistan, Anatolia and Khorasan
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