The Turner surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 348,627 people carried this name — #54 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 846 people counted. That is up 4% from 335,663 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Turner surname
An English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation.
From Middle English Turner, Turnur, Turnure, Turnour, from Middle English turner, turnare, tornere, an occupational surname for a turner or tumbler.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Turner» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 67 births for the Turner name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin, Anfrim, and Cork.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 302 people named Turner live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
280 people named Turner live in Switzerland.
They live in 16 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 186 people named Turner.
Most of them — 159 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Pas-de-Calais.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
84 people named Turner have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 244 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Pomeranian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 31 people named Turner live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Flemish Brabant.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
354 people named Turner are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Turner in American newspapers,
1887–1957.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,101,368 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Turner,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Francis Turner 1637–1700 · bishop -
Charlotte Turner Smith 1749–1806 · writer -
James Turner 1766–1824 · politician -
J. M. W. Turner 1775–1851 · artist -
Edward Turner 1798–1837 · chemist
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 130 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Turner.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Turner is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.