NameCensus.

UK surname

Turkmen

Ethnic surname referring to the Turkmen people of Central Asia.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Haringey, Enfield and Greenwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turkmen is 102 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

102

2016, ranked #30,722

Peak year

2016

102 bearers

Map years

1

2016 to 2016

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016, ranked #30,722.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Turkmen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Turkmen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Turkmen 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
1997 modern 16 #36,292
1998 modern 19 #36,009
1999 modern 21 #35,810
2000 modern 33 #34,607
2001 modern 32 #34,537
2002 modern 46 #33,631
2003 modern 51 #33,266
2004 modern 49 #33,647
2005 modern 56 #33,264
2006 modern 59 #33,330
2007 modern 65 #33,045
2008 modern 71 #32,753
2009 modern 79 #32,372
2010 modern 83 #32,396
2011 modern 77 #32,909
2012 modern 88 #32,064
2013 modern 91 #32,020
2014 modern 96 #31,667
2015 modern 99 #31,168
2016 modern 102 #30,722

Geography

Back to top

Where Turkmens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Haringey, Enfield, Greenwich and Hackney. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Haringey 002 Haringey
2 Enfield 037 Enfield
3 Greenwich 014 Greenwich
4 Hackney 025 Hackney
5 Haringey 029 Haringey

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Turkmen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Turkmen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Turkmen, 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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Turkmen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Turkmen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Turkmen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Turkmen 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

Turkmen falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Turkmen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Turkmen

The surname Turkmen is of Turkish origin, deriving from the Turkmen people of Central Asia. The Turkmen are a Turkic ethnic group primarily residing in the modern-day nation of Turkmenistan, which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The name Turkmen traces its roots back to the 11th century, when the Oghuz Turks migrated from present-day Mongolia to the regions of Central Asia and the Middle East. The Turkmen people emerged as a distinct branch of the Oghuz Turks, settling in the areas that now encompass parts of Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and other neighboring countries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Turkmen can be found in the writings of the Persian historian Rashid al-Din, who chronicled the history of the Mongol Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries. He referred to the Turkmen people as "Turkmân," which is believed to be derived from the Persian term "Turk-e Mân," meaning "resembling a Turk."

In the 15th century, the Turkmen played a significant role in the formation of the Ak Koyunlu and Kara Koyunlu Turkmen confederations, which controlled vast territories in present-day Iran, Turkey, and parts of the Caucasus region. Notable figures from this period include Uzun Hasan (1423-1478), the ruler of the Ak Koyunlu Turkmens, and Qara Yusuf (1389-1420), the founder of the Kara Koyunlu dynasty.

During the 16th century, the Turkmen tribes were absorbed into the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Empire, with many Turkmen individuals serving as soldiers and administrators in these powerful empires. One prominent Turkmen figure from this era was Oghlu Ghazi (1509-1555), a military leader and poet who fought against the Safavids.

In the 19th century, the Turkmen people came under the influence of the Russian Empire, which sought to expand its territories in Central Asia. The Turkmen put up fierce resistance against Russian colonization, led by figures such as Kerim Khan (1833-1857), a Turkmen leader who fought against the Russian conquest of Khiva.

Other notable individuals with the surname Turkmen include Byuzand Turkmen (1892-1938), an Armenian writer and poet, and Annadurdy Khydyrov (1926-1989), a Turkmen politician and writer who served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Turkmenistan.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Turkmen surname: questions and answers

How common is the Turkmen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 102 in 2016. That gives Turkmen a modern rank of #30,722.

What does the Turkmen surname mean?

Ethnic surname referring to the Turkmen people of Central Asia.

What does the Turkmen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Turkmen 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.