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Irish surname

Turner: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Tornóir · Norman 'le Turner,' i.e., the turner, lathe-worker, once a familiar occupation

Woulfe (1923) gives Turner as an anglicised form of Tornóir, which he describes as Norman 'le Turner', i.e. the turner or lathe-worker, once a familiar occupation. He says Turnor is an old surname in Dublin, Wexford and parts of Munster. In 1890, 67 Turner births were registered in Ireland, 30 of them in Ulster and 22 in Leinster.

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Coat of arms associated with the Turner surname
Irish formTornóir
MeaningNorman 'le Turner,' i.e., the turner, lathe-worker, once a familiar occupation
CountiesDublin, Wexford, Antrim, Cork
Other spellings4
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Turner crest gifts

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Origin of the Turner name

Woulfe: Norman 'le Turner'. 'Abrid le Turnur' occurs in the Dublin Roll of Names soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion; in 1226 William and Osbert Turnur were members of the Dublin Guild-Merchant. In 1598 'Turnor of Ballyasshin' was one of the principal gentlemen of Wexford.[1]

  1. 1226William and Osbert Turnur are members of the Dublin Guild-Merchant.[1]
  2. 1598Turnor of Ballyasshin is one of the principal gentlemen of Wexford.[1]
  3. 189067 Turner birth entries in Ireland: Leinster 22, Munster 13, Ulster 30, Connaught 2.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinWoulfe: Turnor an old surname in Dublin; Dublin Roll of Names and Guild-Merchant. Matheson 1890: principally Dublin.[1][2]
Co. WexfordWoulfe: the most important 16th-century family was that of Wexford (Turnor of Ballyasshin, 1598).[1]
Co. AntrimMatheson 1890: counties in which principally found Dublin, Antrim, and Cork.[2]
Co. CorkMatheson 1890: principally found in Dublin, Antrim and Cork.[2]

Other spellings

Turnor · Turnour · Tornour · Tournor[1][3]

The Turner coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Turner surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Turner surname: questions

What does the surname Turner mean?

Woulfe's entry Tornóir gives it as Norman 'le Turner', i.e. the turner or lathe-worker, once a familiar occupation.[1]

Is Turner an Irish name?

Woulfe lists it under Tornóir as a Norman name. He says Turnor is an old surname in Dublin, Wexford and parts of Munster, and 'Abrid le Turnur' occurs in the Dublin Roll of Names soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Turner name found?

Matheson's 1890 birth index gives Dublin, Antrim and Cork as the counties in which it was principally found, with 30 of 67 entries in Ulster and 22 in Leinster.[2]

Is Turnor the same surname as Turner?

Woulfe prints Tornour, Tournor, Turnour, Turnor and Turner together under Tornóir, and Matheson's variety list for Turner gives Turnor and Turnour.[1][3]

Sources

  1. Tornóir — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/t/tornoir.php
  2. Turner — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/turner.php
  3. Turner — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1994.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).