Show ContentsTurpen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Turpen Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Turpen

What does the name Turpen mean?

When the ancestors of the Turpen family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Dorset. Their name, however, is a reference to Turpin Au Bois, Normandy, 1 the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French name Turpinus, a derivative of the Latin 'turpis,' meaning 'disgraceful,' a name adopted by the early Christians as a token of humility. 2

Another source claims the name could have been "derived from the name of an ancestor, as in 'the son of Thorfin,' a popular name among the Danes, which originated some of our place-names; e.g. Thorpanstye, otherwise Thorfinstye Hall, in the parish of Cartmel, Lancashire, was so named from the owner Thorfin or Torpin, a great landowner (of twelve manors) at the time of the Doomsday Survey." 3

Early Origins of the Turpen family

The surname Turpen was first found in Dorset but was quickly found in Yorkshire shortly after the Norman Conquest. One of the first records of the name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Torfin or Turfin. 4

Turfinus filius Torfini was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1130 as was Torphinus in the same rolls in 1196. A few years later, Gaufridus filius Thorphini was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1204. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John Turpin in Oxfordshire. 3 Whitchester in Northumberland was home to a branch of the family. "This place was for ages the possession of the Turpin family." 5

"Turpin was a common name in Exmouth in the 16th and 17th centuries. William Turpin was churchwarden of Littleham in 1575. Turpin is also an ancient east of England name, specifically found in Essex. " 6

"The name of Turpin was represented in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Wilts, in the 13th century (Hundredorum Rolls). In the reign of Mary, George Turpin, Esq., bought the manor of Claybrook, Leicestershire, from Thomas Lacey, Esq., of Charlecote, Warwickshire. The name is also now represented in Devonshire." 6

Richard "Dick" Turpin (1705-1739), the infamous English highwayman who was executed on 22 March 1739 for his deeds was inspiration for many English ballads, theatre and films hailed from Hempstead, Essex. Ironically, Turpin was never convicted of being a highwayman or a murderer. He was convicted of being a horse-rustler and that led to his execution.

In Scotland, the name dates back to 1178 when Turpin was the name of the second known bishop of Brechin. Early records often listed the early Latin form of the name as in "Magister Turpinus [who] witnessed a charter by William the Lion of the Church of Foregrund, c. 1165-71." 7 Walter, son of Turpin, exchanged his lands of Kenny for those of Othirlony, c. 1226-39, William, son of Turpun, was juror on an Inquisition concerning the lands of Mefth, 1262. He may have been a relative of Richard Turpin who witnessed a charter by Bernard de Rippelai in the twelfth century. 7

Early History of the Turpen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turpen research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1529, 1554, 1563, 1565, 1572, 1574, 1583, 1619 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Turpen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turpen Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Turpen has been recorded under many different variations, including Turpine, Torpin, Turpin, Turbin, Turping, Tirping, Tirpin, Terpin, Turpen and many more.

Early Notables of the Turpen family

Sir George Turpin (1529-1583), of Knaptoft, Leicestershire and London, an English Member of Parliament for Leicestershire in November 1554, 1563 and 1572. He was a Justice of the Peace...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Turpen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turpen Ranking

the United States, the name Turpen is the 16,699th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Turpen family to Ireland

Some of the Turpen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turpen migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Turpens were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Turpen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Turpen, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 9
Turpen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Walter H. Turpen, aged 33, who immigrated to America, in 1906
  • Sam Turpen, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1908
  • James Turpen, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
  • Cuthbert Turpen, aged 31, who settled in America, in 1919
  • William Turpen, aged 21, who landed in America, in 1920

Contemporary Notables of the name Turpen (post 1700) +

  • Michael Craig "Mike" Turpen (b. 1949), American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma, Member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (2009-), 13th Attorney General of Oklahoma (1983-1987)
  • William P. Turpen, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2008 10
  • Mike Turpen, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1996, 2000; Member, Rules Committee, 2008 11
  • Mark Turpen, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1958 11
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. 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)
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html

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