Contents [hide]

Turnbull History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Turnbull History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The name Turnbull was first used by the descendants of the Boernician people of the Scottish-English border region. It is a name for a man named Rule (sometimes Ruel) who saved King Robert the Bruce at Stirling Park from a charging bull by turning the bull's head.

According to tradition, the King rewarded Rule with lands in Bedrule, and instructed him to change his name to Turnbull. This same man, Rule, is said to have served at the Battle of Halidon Hill in 1333, against the English. Rule preceded the Scottish Army into battle with a huge black dog, and challenged any Englishman to fight him. Sir Robert Venal of Norfolk accepted his challenge and killed both Rule and his dog. 1 While the account of the fight is most certainly true and well documented, the legend behind the name Turnbull is questionable.

Early Origins of the Turnbull family

The surname Turnbull was first found in Roxburghshire. Referring to the aforementioned Rule reference, there was a noble family of Rule, which derived its name from the Water of Rule, an affluent of the Teviot.

This family dates back to 1214 when King William the Lion of Scotland granted lands to Alan de Rule. If the bull episode is true, then the bearer was either Adam de Rule or Thomas de Rule, the two Rule chieftains who appeared on the Ragman Rolls in 1296, just after the Stirling Park affair.

Later, King Robert the Bruce did in fact grant lands in the west of Fulhophalche to William Turnbull in 1315. King David II also granted the lands of Humdallwalschop (now Hundleshop) to John Turnbull. 1

The source "The History of Liddesdale and the Debatable Land" includes the following entries for the family: David Trumbull or Turnbull, 1494; George Trumbull or Turnbull, 1404-5; Jock Trumble, 1544; and Wat Trombull, 1562. 2

Early History of the Turnbull family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turnbull research. Another 389 words (28 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1296, 1315, 1329, 1333, 1400, 1447, 1450, 1454, 1545, 1562, 1591, 1633 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Turnbull History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turnbull Spelling Variations

In the many years before the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries, names and other words were spelled according to sound, often differently with each person who wrote them. Spelling variations of Turnbull include Turnbull, Turnball, Trimble, Trimbell, Trumbell, Trumbill, Turnbul and many more.

Early Notables of the Turnbull family

Notable amongst bearers of this family name during their early history was

William Turnbull (d. 1454), Bishop of Glasgow, who procured from the pope a charter to establish a university in the city in 1450
Later, George Turnbull (1562?-1633), was a Scottish Jesuit, was born about 1562 in the diocese of St. Andrews, and admitted to the novitiate in 1591 at the age of twenty-two. 3

Turnbull World Ranking

In the United States, the name Turnbull is the 3,806^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Turnbull is ranked the 968^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,593 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Turnbull is the 344^th popular surname with an estimated 10,486 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Turnbull as 377^th with 1,701 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Turnbull as 399^th with 16,208 people. 8

Migration of the Turnbull family to Ireland

Some of the Turnbull family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turnbull migration to the United States +

In many cases, the ancestors of many of these Boernician-Scottish people are just now learning of their Scottish heritage. Since the trip was so arduous, and many were fleeing from poverty itself, settlers brought little with them and often had nothing of their personal history to hand down to their children. Clan societies and highland games have helped to correct this problem in the 20th century. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Turnbulls to arrive on North American shores:

Turnbull Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Alexander Turnbull, who settled in East New Jersey in 1684
Thomas and William Turnbull, who settled in New Jersey in 1685
William Turnbull, who arrived in Perth Amboy, NJ in 1685 9

Turnbull Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Turnbull, who arrived in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1734
John Turnbull, who settled in Annapolis, Maryland in 1753
George Turnbull, who settled in New York in 1756
Andrew Turnbull, who arrived in America in 1766 9
Ann Turnbull, aged 23, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1774 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turnbull Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gavin Turnbull, aged 46, who landed in South Carolina in 1812 9
George Turnbull, aged 51, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
Gavin Turnbull, who settled in South Carolina in 1812
Adam Turnbull, aged 38, who arrived in Delaware in 1812 9
Joseph Turnbull, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1823 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turnbull migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Turnbull Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

William Turnbull, who settled in Bonavista, Newfoundland in 1765 10
Foster Turnbull, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
Donald Turnbull, who settled in Prince Edward Island in 1775
Thomas Turnbull, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1783
Mr. Joseph Turnbull U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turnbull Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Euphemia Turnbull, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1818
Joanna Turnbull, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Lady Campbell" in 1834
Mr. Daniel Turnbull, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Yorkshire" departing 9th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th August 1847 but he died on board 12
Mr. John Turnbull who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Yorkshire" departing 9th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th August 1847 but he died on board 12
Mr. Robert Turnbull, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Yorkshire" departing 9th June 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th August 1847 but he died on board 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turnbull migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Turnbull Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Turnbull, English convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. Thomas Turnbull, English convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
William Turnbull, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Daniel Turnbull, (Murdoch, Scott, Alexander), Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Isaac Turnbull, a farrier, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turnbull migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Turnbull Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Dr Turnbull, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship London
George Turnbull, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Otago aboard the ship "Philip Laing" in 1848
Mrs. G. Turnbull, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Blundell" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 21st September 1848 17
Mr. George Turnbull, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Philip Laing" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 15th April 1848 18
Mr. Turnbull, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Josephine Willis" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th February 1855 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Turnbull (post 1700) +

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (b. 1954), Australian politician, 29th Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of the Liberal Party (2015-)
Charles Wesley Turnbull (1935-2022), American politician, educator and historian, 6th Governor of the United States Virgin Islands from 1999 to 2007
Ross Turnbull (1934-2015), Canadian-born, American ice hockey winger who played from 1954 to 1959
Sara Little Turnbull (1917-2015), born Sara Finkelstein, an American product designer, design innovator and educator, one of America's first female industrial designers
Walter Turnbull (1944-2007), American musician and the founder of the internationally renowned Boys Choir of Harlem
Colin Macmillan Turnbull (1924-1994), famous British-American anthropologist
William Barclay David Donald Turnbull (1811-1863), Scottish archivist and antiquary, born in St. James's Square, Edinburgh
William Turnbull (1729-1796), Scottish physician, born at Hawick who belonged to the family of Turnbull of Bedrule in Roxburghshire
Andrew "Drew" Turnbull (1930-2012), Scottish rugby union and professional rugby league footballer
William Turnbull (b. 1922), Scottish artist
... (Another 17 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Turnbull family +

Empress of Ireland

Master Albert Reginald Turnbull (1903-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 19
Mrs. Caroline Ellen Turnbull (1869-1914), née Norman Canadian Third Class Passenger from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 19

HMS Dorsetshire

Robert Turnbull (d. 1945), British Engine Room Artificer 4th Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 20

HMS Hood

Mr. William S Turnbull (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Lambeth, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 21

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 97)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm