Contents [hide]

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

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Turner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Austria
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Turner family

The surname Turner was first found in Germany, where the name Turner came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status.

Early History of the Turner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turner research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the year 1854 is included under the topic Early Turner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Turner, Turnner, Turrner, Turnerr, Turnere, Turners, Turnerse, Turne and many more.

Early Notables of the Turner family

the Turner family of Germany

Turner World Ranking

the United States, the name Turner is the 44^th most popular surname with an estimated 378,024 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Turner is ranked the 111^st most popular surname with an estimated 26,409 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Turner is the 395^th popular surname with an estimated 118 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Turner as 37^th with 45,848 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Turner as 28^th with 5,764 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Turner as 28^th with 109,971 people. 6

Turner migration to the United States +

Turner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Turner who settled in Maine in 1607
Henry Turner, who settled in Virginia in 1615
Mr. Thomas Turner, aged 11, who arrived in Virginia in 1616 aboard the ship "Mary Gold" 8
Robert Turner, aged 26, who was on record in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Tryall/Triall"
Abraham Turner, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andrew Turner, who landed in Virginia in 1701 9
Charles Turner, who landed in Virginia in 1705 9
James Turner, who arrived in Georgia in 1733 9
Alexander Turner, who landed in New England in 1738 9
John Turner and his wife Elizabeth Turner, who arrived at Philadelphia in 1742
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bartlett Turner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 9
Bartholomew Turner, aged 27, who landed in New York in 1812 9
Cath Turner, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 9
Duncan Turner, who landed in New York in 1820 9
Miss Mary Turner, aged 18, British spinner who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Louisa" in 1825
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alfred Turner, who arrived in Mississippi in 1902 9
Albert Harry Turner, who arrived in Alabama in 1921 9

Turner migration to Canada +

Turner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Francis Turner, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Eleonora Turner, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
William Turner, who settled in Bonavista, Newfoundland in 1765 10
Mr. Edward Turner U.E. who settled in Western District [The townships of Essex County and Kent County], Ontario c. 1778 arrived with 2 children 11
Private. Holden Turner U.E. who settled in Lincoln, Sunbury County, New Brunswick c. 1783 was passenger number 466 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York, USA arriving in Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 he served in the 22nd Regiment of Foot 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Daniel Turner, who landed in Canada in 1832
John Turner, aged 25, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Edward Reid" in 1833
Agnes Turner, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
William Turner, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
John Turner, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. Francis Turner, British settler convicted at Shrewsbury (Salop), England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Mr. Mark Turner, (1759 - 1802), aged 29, British settler convicted in Surrey, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Mr. Richard Turner, (1765 - 1816), aged 24, British settler convicted at Somerset, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a pig, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Miss Rachel Turner, (1762 - 1838), aged 25, British servant convicted in Middlesex, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Lady Juliana" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8

Second Fleet

Mr. William Turner, British settler convicted in Kent, England in 1790, sentenced to 14 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Miss Ann Turner, British settler convicted in Surrey, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. John Turner, British settler convicted in Norwich, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for poaching, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. Richard Turner, British settler convicted in Norfolk, England in 1790, sentenced to Life for theft, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. Robert Turner, (d. 1792), British settler convicted in Northumberland, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8

Third Fleet

Mr. Ralph Turner, (b. 1749), aged 38, English convicted in Manchester, England on 14th April 1785, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787, died before they set sail 8
Mr. John Turner, (b. 1739), aged 48, English settler convicted in Maidstone, Kent on 1st April 1783, sentenced for 7 years for theft of food, transported aboard the ship "Friendship" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8
Mr. Thomas Turner, (b. 1739), aged 48, English settler convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire on 6th March 1782, sentenced for 7 years for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Friendship" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788, died shortly after arriving 8
Mr. John Turner, (b. 1758), aged 29, English settler convicted in York, Yorkshire on 24th July 1784, sentenced for 7 years for stealing animals, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8
Miss Mary Turner, (b. 1765), aged 22, English settler convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire on 5th March 1785, sentenced for 7 years for stealing clothing, transported aboard the ship "Lady Penrhyn" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Turner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. David Turner, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. James Turner, (Roberts, Richard), British convict who was convicted in Parkhurst, Newport, Isle of Wight for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. George Turner, (b. 1790), aged 23, English labourer who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for life for highway robbery, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1872 14
Mr. Francis Turner, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. Thomas Turner, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner 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:

Turner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Peter Turner, who landed in Friendly Island, NZ, New Zealand in 1830
W Turner, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1834
Thomas Turner, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
Benjamin Turner, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
W Turner, who landed in Waipa River, New Zealand in 1839
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turner migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 17

Turner Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas Turner, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 18
Mr. Mathew Turner, (b. 1589), aged 46, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Paul of London" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 18

Contemporary Notables of the name Turner (post 1700) +

John Napier Wyndham Turner PC, CC, QC (1929-2020), Canadian Rhodes Scholar, lawyer, and politician who served as the 17th Prime Minister of Canada
Stan Turner (1944-2025), American news presenter, main anchor at KSTP-TV Minneapolis/St. Paul during the 1980s, main anchor at KSTP-TV's parent company Hubbard Broadcasting's All News Channel (1989-2002)
Robby Turner (1962-1963), American pedal steel guitarist, best known for work with Waylon Jennings and contributions to recordings by many other artists
Vyvyanne Elmore Turner (1922-2008), née Bugg, American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
Sylvester Turner (1954-2025), American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 18th congressional district (2025), served as the 62nd mayor of Houston (2016-2024), Texas House of Representatives (1989-2016)
Frank Seaton Turner (1947-2025), American politician, Member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1995-2019)
Charles Henry Turner (1867-1923), American zoologist, entomologist, educator, and comparative psychologist, known for his studies on the behavior of insects, particularly bees and ants, the first African American to receive a graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati
Charlie Turner (1944-2024), American professional football player
Herschell C. Turner (1938-2024), American professional basketball player for the Chicago Majors (1961-1963), Pittsburgh Pipers (1967) and the Anaheim Amigos (1967-1968)
... (Another 59 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Turner family +

Arrow Air Flight 1285

Mr. Vincent L Turner (1958-1985), American Sergeant from Huntsville, Alabama, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 19
Sarah Turner (1969-1985), from Bingley who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and she died in the fire
Howard Turner (1944-1985), from Bingley who attended the Bradford City and Lincoln City Third Division match on 11th May 1985 when the Bradford City stadium fire occurred and he died in the fire
Mr. Joseph Turner, British Assistant Cook from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 20
Mr. Joseph Henry Turner (1890-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 21
... (Another 43 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"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
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"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
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html