NameCensus.

UK surname

Turney

Derived from a place name meaning "thornbush island" in Old English, or referring to someone from Tournai, Belgium.

In the 1881 census there were 1,057 people recorded with the Turney surname, ranking it #3,725 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,190, ranked #5,003, down from #3,725 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Hockliffe and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turney is 1,556 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.6%.

1881 census count

1,057

Ranked #3,725

Modern count

1,190

2016, ranked #5,003

Peak year

1911

1,556 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Turney had 1,057 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,725 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,190 in 2016, ranked #5,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,556 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Turney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Turney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Turney 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 709 #3,681
1861 historical 857 #3,230
1881 historical 1,057 #3,725
1891 historical 1,378 #3,152
1901 historical 1,455 #3,502
1911 historical 1,556 #3,115
1997 modern 1,212 #4,673
1998 modern 1,298 #4,571
1999 modern 1,329 #4,503
2000 modern 1,286 #4,624
2001 modern 1,230 #4,701
2002 modern 1,261 #4,701
2003 modern 1,218 #4,748
2004 modern 1,252 #4,633
2005 modern 1,240 #4,629
2006 modern 1,216 #4,728
2007 modern 1,194 #4,826
2008 modern 1,203 #4,829
2009 modern 1,219 #4,875
2010 modern 1,249 #4,875
2011 modern 1,245 #4,834
2012 modern 1,214 #4,867
2013 modern 1,246 #4,831
2014 modern 1,241 #4,869
2015 modern 1,212 #4,931
2016 modern 1,190 #5,003

Geography

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Where Turneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Hockliffe, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Hockliffe Bedfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Central Bedfordshire 021 Central Bedfordshire
2 Central Bedfordshire 020 Central Bedfordshire
3 Milton Keynes 001 Milton Keynes
4 Central Bedfordshire 019 Central Bedfordshire
5 Central Bedfordshire 024 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Turney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Turney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Turney, 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 Turney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Turney 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

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Turney 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

Turney is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Turney falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Turney 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 Turney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Turney

The surname Turney originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Old English words "tor" meaning a tower or rocky hill, and "ey" meaning an island or area of dry land surrounded by water. It is believed that the name may have been a descriptive term for someone who lived near a prominent rocky hill or island.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Turney can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and people in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "de Tornai" and refers to a family that held lands in Staffordshire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "de Turneye" and "de Tornay," likely referring to places with similar names in Normandy, France, and the English county of Lincolnshire. These early spellings suggest the name may have originated from a Norman-French place name before being adopted in England.

A notable historical figure with the surname Turney was Sir Edmund Turney (1487-1545), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Henry VIII. Another early bearer of the name was John Turney (1584-1653), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Suffolk.

In the 17th century, the name was recorded as "Turnye" and "Turnie" in various parish records and legal documents. During this period, John Turney (1625-1690), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Worcestershire, was a significant figure in the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Turney include James Turney (1770-1840), an American politician who served as the 12th Governor of Tennessee, and John Turney (1826-1904), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee and as the 27th Governor of Tennessee.

The name Turney has been associated with various places and landmarks throughout history, such as Turney's Tower, an ancient fortification in Gloucestershire, and Turney's Moor, a former area of common land in Shropshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Turney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Turney 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. Middlesex leads with 208 Turneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.01x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 208 2.01x
Bedfordshire 163 30.44x
Buckinghamshire 157 25.11x
Surrey 78 1.55x
Nottinghamshire 72 5.17x
Hertfordshire 69 9.68x
Lancashire 67 0.55x
Yorkshire 33 0.32x
Northamptonshire 21 2.16x
Durham 20 0.65x
Worcestershire 20 1.48x
Kent 18 0.51x
Warwickshire 18 0.69x
Lincolnshire 13 0.79x
Hampshire 11 0.52x
Cambridgeshire 10 1.53x
Lanarkshire 10 0.30x
Essex 9 0.44x
Sussex 9 0.52x
Cumberland 8 0.90x
Devon 8 0.37x
Staffordshire 8 0.23x
Gloucestershire 7 0.35x
Leicestershire 5 0.44x
Oxfordshire 4 0.63x
Isle of Man 3 1.56x
Somerset 3 0.18x
Cheshire 2 0.09x
Herefordshire 2 0.47x
Northumberland 2 0.13x
Flintshire 1 0.36x
Suffolk 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 45 Turneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.48x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 45 12.48x
Leighton Buzzard 35 151.98x
Slapton 32 3404.26x
Liverpool 30 4.03x
Hockliffe 26 2241.38x
Newington 24 6.28x
Soulbury 24 1428.57x
Luton 23 24.81x
Chelsea London 22 7.06x
Dunstable 21 127.66x
St Pancras London 19 2.28x
Linslade 17 277.78x
Birmingham 16 1.84x
Wigginton 15 597.61x
Hackney London 14 2.42x
Ivinghoe 14 286.89x
St Marylebone London 14 2.54x
Tottenham 14 8.50x
Tring 14 73.57x
Wimbledon 14 24.75x
Winslow 13 220.71x
Lambeth 12 1.33x
Wooburn 12 139.21x
Aylesbury 11 39.71x
St George Martyr 11 63.11x
Hendon 10 26.88x
Lewisham 10 5.32x
St Luke London 10 6.03x
Aldbury 9 278.64x
Sawston 9 142.41x
St Giles In Fields 9 25.24x
Therfield 9 215.83x
Wavendon 9 259.37x
Willesden 9 9.23x
Brighton 8 2.27x
Caddington 8 102.04x
Kensington London 8 1.39x
Radford Lenton 8 230.55x
Ridgmont 8 303.03x
Upperswinford 8 69.99x
Abbots Langley 7 66.10x
Chalgrave 7 225.81x
Paddington London 7 1.84x
Westminster St John 7 5.56x
Bradford 6 2.42x
Camberwell 6 0.91x
Cheddington 6 228.14x
Dowdeswell 6 338.98x
Ellenborough Ewanrigg 6 97.24x
Heaton Norris 6 8.59x
Limehouse London 6 5.29x
Morley 6 11.26x
Pitstone 6 359.28x
Shoreditch London 6 1.34x
St Martin In Fields 6 9.69x
St Sepulchre London 6 39.63x
Barrow Upon Soar 5 52.80x
Bermondsey 5 1.62x
Billington 5 331.13x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 5.13x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 2.57x
Clerkenwell London 5 2.05x
Eydon 5 314.47x
Gateshead 5 2.17x
Great Brickhill 5 253.81x
Husborne Crawley 5 294.12x
Islington London 5 0.50x
Kings Norton 5 4.13x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 3.02x
Radford 5 7.06x
Southwark Christchurch 5 10.32x
St George Hanover 5 3.70x
Stockton On Tees 5 3.37x
Stourbridge 5 14.39x
Arnold 4 19.66x
Battlesden 4 1000.00x
Heath Reach 4 105.26x
Hemel Hempstead 4 12.46x
Manchester 4 0.72x
Upper Heyford 4 975.61x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 58
William 57
Thomas 41
James 40
Charles 27
George 24
Joseph 21
Henry 19
Edward 18
Arthur 13
Frederick 13
Harry 12
Richard 12
Alfred 11
Samuel 11
Albert 10
Robert 10
Frank 7
Walter 5
Stephen 4
Wm. 4
Daniel 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
Michael 3
Amos 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Horace 2
Levi 2
Martin 2
Patrick 2
Thos. 2
Ambrose 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Burton 1
Earnest 1
Emma 1
Erenst 1
Ezra 1
Frederic 1
Hugh 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Issac 1
J. 1
Jacob 1

FAQ

Turney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Turney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,057 people were recorded with the Turney surname. That placed it at #3,725 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Turney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,190 in 2016. That gives Turney a modern rank of #5,003.

What does the Turney surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "thornbush island" in Old English, or referring to someone from Tournai, Belgium.

What does the Turney map show?

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