NameCensus.

UK surname

Turk

A surname denoting a person of Turkish origin or ethnicity.

In the 1881 census there were 757 people recorded with the Turk surname, ranking it #4,879 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,095, ranked #5,356, down from #4,879 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Langholm and Eskdale, Enfield and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turk is 1,129 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.6%.

1881 census count

757

Ranked #4,879

Modern count

1,095

2016, ranked #5,356

Peak year

2014

1,129 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Turk had 757 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,879 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,095 in 2016, ranked #5,356.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,106 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Turk surname distribution map

The map shows where the Turk surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Turk surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Turk over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 505 #4,949
1861 historical 402 #6,383
1881 historical 757 #4,879
1891 historical 807 #4,997
1901 historical 1,013 #4,708
1911 historical 1,106 #4,197
1997 modern 1,058 #5,244
1998 modern 1,104 #5,243
1999 modern 1,098 #5,289
2000 modern 1,078 #5,347
2001 modern 1,046 #5,382
2002 modern 1,072 #5,386
2003 modern 1,031 #5,460
2004 modern 1,035 #5,456
2005 modern 1,012 #5,496
2006 modern 1,043 #5,385
2007 modern 1,048 #5,403
2008 modern 1,061 #5,369
2009 modern 1,100 #5,316
2010 modern 1,120 #5,354
2011 modern 1,126 #5,265
2012 modern 1,109 #5,257
2013 modern 1,126 #5,276
2014 modern 1,129 #5,288
2015 modern 1,118 #5,279
2016 modern 1,095 #5,356

Geography

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Where Turks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Rotherfield and Egerton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Langholm and Eskdale, Enfield, Caerphilly, Stroud and East Hampshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Rotherfield Sussex
5 Egerton Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
2 Enfield 003 Enfield
3 Caerphilly 011 Caerphilly
4 Stroud 013 Stroud
5 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Turk

These lists show first names that appear often with the Turk surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Turk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Turk, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Turk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Turk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Turk is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Turk is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Turk falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Turk is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Turk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Turk

The surname Turk is an English surname derived from the ethnic name for a person from Turkey or of Turkish descent. Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when the name was likely used to refer to individuals who had come from the region of modern-day Turkey or had Turkish ancestry.

The name Turk is believed to have emerged in England during the time of the Crusades, when interactions between Europeans and people from the Middle East became more frequent. Crusaders and travelers from England may have encountered individuals from the region now known as Turkey, leading to the adoption of the term "Turk" as a descriptor or surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Turk can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, which mention a person named "William le Turk." This document suggests that the surname was already in use during the late 12th century in England.

In the 13th century, the surname Turk appeared in various historical records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of 1223, which reference a "Roger Turk." Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "Robert le Turk" from Oxfordshire.

One notable figure with the surname Turk was Sir John Turk, a knight who lived during the 14th century. He served as a member of the royal household of King Edward III and was granted lands in Somerset and Dorset.

Another prominent individual bearing the surname Turk was Richard Turk, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the construction of several churches and chapels in the city.

In the 16th century, the surname Turk was associated with Sir Walter Turk, a courtier and diplomat during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as an ambassador to various European countries and was knighted for his services.

The surname Turk also has connections to place names in England, such as Turkdean in Gloucestershire and Turkville in Worcestershire, which may have contributed to the formation of the surname in those regions.

Throughout history, the surname Turk has been subject to various spelling variations, including Turke, Turcke, and Turck, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography and regional variations in pronunciation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Turk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Turk surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 178 Turks recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.13x.

County Total Index
Kent 178 7.13x
Sussex 155 12.57x
Gloucestershire 109 7.60x
Wiltshire 79 12.21x
Surrey 55 1.54x
Middlesex 33 0.45x
Somerset 26 2.21x
Durham 13 0.60x
Essex 12 0.83x
Dorset 11 2.29x
Lanarkshire 10 0.42x
Lancashire 10 0.12x
Staffordshire 10 0.40x
Derbyshire 8 0.70x
Hampshire 8 0.53x
Monmouthshire 8 1.51x
Berkshire 6 1.09x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.41x
Oxfordshire 3 0.66x
Cheshire 2 0.12x
Lincolnshire 2 0.17x
Warwickshire 2 0.11x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Leicestershire 1 0.12x
Midlothian 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.43x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Egerton in Kent leads with 38 Turks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1743.12x.

Place Total Index
Egerton 38 1743.12x
Rotherfield 37 340.70x
Withyam 29 549.24x
Cheltenham 19 17.16x
Frome 18 63.90x
Chippenham 17 125.28x
Swindon 17 33.87x
Hastings All Sts 16 137.69x
Cliffe Pypard 15 773.20x
Deptford St Paul 15 7.79x
Lambeth 15 2.35x
Sittingbourne 15 76.10x
Islington London 13 1.83x
South Hamlet 13 146.40x
Iden 12 863.31x
Headcorn 11 294.12x
Sturminster 11 236.05x
Camberwell 10 2.14x
Greenwich 10 8.59x
Walsall Foreign 10 7.84x
Bremhill 9 308.22x
Brighton 9 3.62x
Buxted 9 186.34x
Hartfield 9 230.77x
Kingston On Thames 9 10.51x
Tonbridge 9 10.00x
Horsley 8 125.79x
Minster In Sheppey 8 19.35x
Panteg 8 96.04x
Tanfield 8 30.91x
Cowden 7 429.45x
Gloucester St Catherine 7 173.27x
Hastings St Clement 7 60.29x
Kensington London 7 1.72x
Little Chart 7 1014.49x
Chesterfield 6 13.97x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 6 112.15x
Hastings St Mary In The 6 22.80x
Newbury 6 34.11x
Rodborough 6 86.58x
Sutton Valence 6 212.01x
Wanstead 6 23.72x
Croydon 5 2.53x
Everton 5 1.81x
Ewell 5 66.40x
Glasgow 5 1.19x
Gloucester St John Baptist 5 53.94x
Gravesend 5 23.66x
Ivychurch 5 769.23x
Maidstone 5 6.72x
Norton 5 458.72x
Walcot 5 7.97x
Waltham Holy Cross 5 37.04x
Whickham 5 24.96x
Andover 4 28.23x
Barnsley 4 579.71x
Cranbrook 4 37.84x
Devizes St Mary 4 61.16x
Dowdeswell 4 320.00x
Govan 4 0.68x
Henbury 4 57.14x
Hever 4 233.92x
Lenham 4 80.32x
Lyneham 4 158.10x
Manchester 4 1.02x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.57x
Ashurst 3 535.71x
Bathwick 3 23.02x
Boughton Malherbe 3 270.27x
Calne 3 22.52x
Christian Malford 3 152.28x
Dursley 3 50.85x
Eastbourne 3 5.29x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 3 11.42x
Hastings St Mary 3 9.77x
Newnham 3 81.30x
Portslade 3 39.79x
Prestbury 3 84.51x
St Marylebone London 3 0.77x
Wittersham 3 134.53x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Turk surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 43
Sarah 28
Elizabeth 25
Eliza 16
Ellen 16
Jane 16
Emily 12
Annie 11
Alice 9
Fanny 9
Ann 8
Emma 8
Frances 7
Margaret 7
Ada 6
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Harriet 6
Kate 6
Amelia 5
Louisa 5
Martha 5
Amy 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Esther 4
Florence 4
Hannah 4
Harriett 4
Julia 4
Maria 4
Bertha 3
Lucy 3
Rosa 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Ansley 2
Helen 2
Laura 2
Leah 2
Matilda 2
Maud 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Urena 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Turk surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 43
John 37
James 29
George 28
Henry 18
Charles 17
Thomas 16
Albert 14
Alfred 14
Edward 14
Robert 14
Frederick 13
Richard 10
Samuel 8
Walter 7
Arthur 5
Edwin 4
Herbert 4
Stephen 4
Harry 3
Percy 3
Andrew 2
Dive 2
Eli 2
Ephraim 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fredck. 2
Frederic 2
Michael 2
Raymond 2
Reginald 2
Spencer 2
Benjamin 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fredick 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Fredrick 1
Gabriel 1
Geo. 1
Jehu 1
Joshua 1
Julia 1
Owen 1
Rayner 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Turk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Turk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 757 people were recorded with the Turk surname. That placed it at #4,879 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Turk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,095 in 2016. That gives Turk a modern rank of #5,356.

What does the Turk surname mean?

A surname denoting a person of Turkish origin or ethnicity.

What does the Turk map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Turk bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.