Show ContentsTurping History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Turping

What does the name Turping mean?

The history of the Turping family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 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 Turping family

The surname Turping 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 Turping family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turping 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 Turping History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turping Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Turpine, Torpin, Turpin, Turbin, Turping, Tirping, Tirpin, Terpin, Turpen and many more.

Early Notables of the Turping 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 Turping Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Turping family to Ireland

Some of the Turping 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.

Migration of the Turping family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Turping name or one of its variants: John Turpin who settled in Barbados in 1635; John Turpine settled in New Jersey in 1685; sometimes called Turpnie; Henry Turpin settled in Barbados in 1680 with his son and servants.
  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)

Houseofnames.com on Facebook