NameCensus.

UK surname

Turnell

A surname derived from the Middle English word "turnelle," meaning a trundle or small wheel.

In the 1881 census there were 286 people recorded with the Turnell surname, ranking it #10,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 297, ranked #14,839, down from #10,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, St Leonard Shoreditch and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wellingborough, Carmarthenshire and Kettering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turnell is 400 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.8%.

1881 census count

286

Ranked #10,036

Modern count

297

2016, ranked #14,839

Peak year

1911

400 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Turnell had 286 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016, ranked #14,839.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 400 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Turnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Turnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Turnell 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 204 #10,250
1861 historical 328 #7,771
1881 historical 286 #10,036
1891 historical 356 #9,697
1901 historical 342 #10,608
1911 historical 400 #9,280
1997 modern 340 #12,428
1998 modern 343 #12,707
1999 modern 342 #12,829
2000 modern 330 #13,066
2001 modern 314 #13,318
2002 modern 321 #13,378
2003 modern 310 #13,522
2004 modern 319 #13,342
2005 modern 308 #13,590
2006 modern 314 #13,474
2007 modern 327 #13,229
2008 modern 315 #13,686
2009 modern 317 #13,899
2010 modern 338 #13,550
2011 modern 327 #13,754
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 317 #14,186
2014 modern 312 #14,430
2015 modern 304 #14,617
2016 modern 297 #14,839

Geography

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Where Turnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, St Leonard Shoreditch, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Washingborough and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wellingborough, Carmarthenshire, Kettering, Braintree and Havant. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Washingborough Lincolnshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wellingborough 003 Wellingborough
2 Carmarthenshire 019 Carmarthenshire
3 Kettering 002 Kettering
4 Braintree 003 Braintree
5 Havant 013 Havant

Forenames

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First names often paired with Turnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Turnell

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Turnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Turnell 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Turnell is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Turnell is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Turnell falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Turnell 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Turnell

The surname Turnell originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place name meaning "the dweller at the mill on the hill" or "the dweller at the mill stream." The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1230, where it appears as "Adam de Turndl."

Turnell is a variant spelling of the surname Turnhill, which itself is a combination of the Old English words "tyrn" meaning a mill and "hyll" meaning a hill. This suggests that the name may have originated from a person who lived near a mill situated on a hill or near a stream that powered the mill.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries that may be related to the surname Turnell. These include "Turnehil" in Nottinghamshire and "Turneuelle" in Gloucestershire, both of which could be early spellings or place names associated with the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Turnell was Sir William Turnell, who lived in the 13th century and was a member of the English gentry. Another notable figure was John Turnell, born in 1543, who was a clergyman and served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1619 to 1629.

In the 16th century, the surname Turnell was also found in the records of the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. A gentleman named Thomas Turnell was mentioned in a legal document from 1591, suggesting that the name was present in the area during Shakespeare's lifetime.

Other notable individuals with the surname Turnell include Sir George Turnell (1672-1748), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament, and Richard Turnell (1727-1802), a British architect known for his work in Bath and Bristol.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname have been observed, such as Turnel, Turnill, Turnhull, and Turnhill, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal traditions of different areas of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Turnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Turnell 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. Northamptonshire leads with 63 Turnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.01x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 63 24.01x
Yorkshire 57 2.06x
Middlesex 41 1.47x
Lincolnshire 34 7.62x
Lancashire 16 0.48x
Surrey 14 1.03x
Derbyshire 8 1.83x
Essex 8 1.45x
Bedfordshire 7 4.85x
Staffordshire 7 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 5 2.83x
Carmarthenshire 5 4.25x
Durham 4 0.48x
Kent 4 0.42x
Norfolk 4 0.93x
Berkshire 2 0.96x
Hampshire 2 0.35x
Somerset 2 0.45x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.59x
Leicestershire 1 0.32x
Royal Navy 1 3.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wellingborough in Northamptonshire leads with 28 Turnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 212.28x.

Place Total Index
Wellingborough 28 212.28x
Heighington 17 2394.37x
Sheffield 16 18.18x
Ecclesall Bierlow 14 24.90x
Pennington In Leigh 11 173.23x
Leeds 10 6.41x
Shoreditch London 10 8.27x
Boston 9 66.52x
Kingsthorpe 9 308.22x
St Pancras London 9 4.01x
Little Barford 7 3888.89x
Chesterfield 6 36.65x
Clerkenwell London 6 9.11x
Handsworth 6 25.85x
Islington London 6 2.22x
West Ham 6 4.94x
Brightside Bierlow 5 9.22x
Brixworth 5 446.43x
Lambeth 5 2.06x
Llanelly 5 18.88x
Elkington 4 5000.00x
Gateshead 4 6.44x
Kimberworth 4 26.08x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 29.96x
All Saints Cambridge 3 241.94x
Feltwell 3 361.45x
Great Billing 3 810.81x
Kettering 3 28.28x
Sulgrave 3 681.82x
Washingborough 3 428.57x
Batley 2 7.61x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.65x
Boughton Aluph 2 370.37x
Fairfield 2 68.49x
Gorton 2 6.43x
Great Harrowden 2 1333.33x
Leyton 2 21.07x
Manningham 2 5.87x
Mirfield 2 13.18x
Paddington London 2 1.95x
Salford 2 2.05x
Sewerby Cum Marton 2 377.36x
Southwark Christchurch 2 15.30x
Spalding 2 22.60x
St Luke London 2 4.47x
Walcot 2 8.36x
Wimbledon 2 13.11x
Wisbech St Peter 2 22.57x
Branston 1 72.99x
Caterham 1 16.64x
Clapham 1 2.87x
Clewer 1 11.66x
Farnborough 1 16.64x
Fulham London 1 2.47x
Godalming 1 11.68x
Grantham 1 17.21x
Great Faringdon 1 33.22x
Hackney London 1 0.64x
Irchester 1 61.35x
Kensington London 1 0.64x
Leek Lowe 1 7.98x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.33x
Minster In Sheppey 1 6.34x
Newington 1 0.97x
Northampton St Giles 1 10.01x
Royal Navy 1 3.52x
Speldhurst 1 20.62x
St Martin In Fields 1 5.99x
Stamford St George 1 50.00x
Stony Stratford East 1 144.93x
Toxteth Park 1 0.89x
Walsoken 1 38.76x
Wandsworth 1 3.72x
Winnall 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 16
Mary 12
Annie 8
Elizabeth 7
Ellen 6
Emma 5
Ann 4
Charlotte 4
Emily 4
Louisa 4
Alice 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Kate 3
Lucy 3
Lydia 3
Martha 3
Agnes 2
Amy 2
Clara 2
Eleanor 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Jane 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Rebecca 2
Rosa 2
Sophia 2
Amelia 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
E. 1
Elizth 1
Ell. 1
Fay 1
Florence 1
Henrt. 1
Juliet 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lizzie 1
M.A. 1
Madeline 1
Rachael 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Joseph 15
John 12
William 12
Charles 9
George 8
Arthur 7
Thomas 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Samuel 4
Fredk. 3
James 3
Matthew 3
Walter 3
Frank 2
Fred 2
Harry 2
Jabez 2
Jno.H. 2
Tom 2
Willm. 2
Allan 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Cyril 1
Edwd.M. 1
Eric 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred.Wm. 1
Frederick 1
G. 1
Henry 1
Heny.H. 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
J.H. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Edmond 1
Jno.Fred 1
Leonard 1
Milford 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Roland 1
Septiruns 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Turnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Turnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 286 people were recorded with the Turnell surname. That placed it at #10,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Turnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 297 in 2016. That gives Turnell a modern rank of #14,839.

What does the Turnell surname mean?

A surname derived from the Middle English word "turnelle," meaning a trundle or small wheel.

What does the Turnell map show?

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