NameCensus.

UK surname

Turrell

A topographic name for someone who lived near a small hill or rise of land.

In the 1881 census there were 904 people recorded with the Turrell surname, ranking it #4,221 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,751, ranked #3,582, up from #4,221 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kessingland, London parishes and Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney and Halton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turrell is 1,914 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 93.7%.

1881 census count

904

Ranked #4,221

Modern count

1,751

2016, ranked #3,582

Peak year

2002

1,914 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Turrell had 904 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,221 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,751 in 2016, ranked #3,582.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,405 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Turrell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Turrell surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Turrell 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 589 #4,340
1861 historical 504 #5,194
1881 historical 904 #4,221
1891 historical 939 #4,410
1901 historical 1,278 #3,889
1911 historical 1,405 #3,435
1997 modern 1,819 #3,301
1998 modern 1,900 #3,292
1999 modern 1,894 #3,331
2000 modern 1,878 #3,338
2001 modern 1,862 #3,299
2002 modern 1,914 #3,293
2003 modern 1,863 #3,289
2004 modern 1,818 #3,365
2005 modern 1,769 #3,422
2006 modern 1,779 #3,408
2007 modern 1,799 #3,411
2008 modern 1,796 #3,442
2009 modern 1,842 #3,446
2010 modern 1,879 #3,453
2011 modern 1,850 #3,449
2012 modern 1,779 #3,518
2013 modern 1,795 #3,538
2014 modern 1,802 #3,550
2015 modern 1,776 #3,557
2016 modern 1,751 #3,582

Geography

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Where Turrells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kessingland, London parishes, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Dunsfold, Bramley, Shalford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney and Halton. 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 Kessingland Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
4 Dunsfold, Bramley, Shalford Surrey
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 012 Waveney
2 Waveney 005 Waveney
3 Waveney 004 Waveney
4 Halton 010 Halton
5 Waveney 008 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Turrell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Turrell

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

Turrell is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Turrell falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Turrell

The surname Turrell is of English origin, first recorded in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word 'torel', meaning a small tower or turret, likely referring to someone who lived near a small tower or fortification.

In medieval times, the name was found mostly in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1273, where it is spelled 'Torel'.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved to its current spelling of Turrell. The Subsidy Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1327 mention a John Turrell, and the Poll Tax records of 1379 list a Thomas Turrell in Oxfordshire.

The Turrell name can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as 'Torel' in the county of Buckinghamshire. This suggests that the name has Norman French origins and was likely brought to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Walter Turrell, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France in the 14th century. Another notable figure was John Turrell, a wealthy landowner in Oxfordshire who lived in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Turrell family had established themselves in the village of Stoke Talmage in Oxfordshire. William Turrell, born in 1542, was a prominent landowner in the area and served as a churchwarden for the local parish church.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Richard Turrell from Buckinghamshire fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was later granted lands in recognition of his service.

In the 19th century, Edward Turrell (1810-1887) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the neo-Gothic style, including the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Buckinghamshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Turrell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Turrell 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. Surrey leads with 128 Turrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.98x.

County Total Index
Surrey 128 2.98x
Norfolk 124 9.14x
Middlesex 89 1.01x
Kent 86 2.86x
Sussex 85 5.71x
Warwickshire 68 3.05x
Suffolk 60 5.58x
Essex 49 2.81x
Oxfordshire 27 4.95x
Yorkshire 25 0.29x
Leicestershire 24 2.45x
Cambridgeshire 21 3.76x
Hampshire 16 0.88x
Northamptonshire 13 1.57x
Worcestershire 12 1.04x
Lincolnshire 11 0.78x
Staffordshire 11 0.37x
Berkshire 8 1.21x
Durham 7 0.27x
Cornwall 6 0.60x
Gloucestershire 5 0.29x
Lanarkshire 5 0.18x
Lancashire 5 0.05x
Monmouthshire 5 0.78x
Cumberland 2 0.26x
Northumberland 2 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.17x
Royal Navy 2 1.90x
Bedfordshire 1 0.22x
Devon 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.17x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.42x
Glamorgan 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.16x
Somerset 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Yarmouth in Norfolk leads with 79 Turrells recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.26x.

Place Total Index
Great Yarmouth 79 70.26x
Croydon 22 9.21x
Lambeth 19 2.47x
Bramley 18 474.93x
Alverstoke 14 21.37x
Nuthurst 14 569.11x
Charlton 13 65.00x
Lowestoft 13 25.59x
Old Shoreham 13 1733.33x
West Ham 13 3.38x
Foleshill 12 51.24x
Kidderminster Borough 12 17.79x
New Shoreham 12 134.53x
Dartford 11 35.71x
Enfield 11 18.99x
Henstead 11 674.85x
Shalford 10 210.08x
Stoney Stanton 10 333.33x
Chelsea London 9 3.38x
Norwich St James 9 84.51x
Warwick St Nicholas 9 55.11x
Wicklewood 9 407.24x
Clee With Weelsby 8 25.89x
Sharlston 8 139.37x
Steyning 8 158.42x
Westminster St James 8 8.82x
Wiggenhall St German 8 500.00x
Aston 7 1.14x
Beckenham 7 17.78x
Camberwell 7 1.24x
Charlton Next Woolwich 7 22.29x
East Malling 7 97.22x
Hillmorton 7 176.32x
Ingatestone 7 250.00x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.56x
Birmingham 6 0.81x
Conside Knitsley 6 29.38x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 9.03x
Croydon Cum Clapton 6 416.67x
Deptford St Paul 6 2.58x
Gravesend 6 23.53x
Hammersmith London 6 2.76x
Leicester St Mary 6 7.59x
Neithrop 6 32.75x
New Windsor 6 26.93x
Newington 6 1.84x
Shenstone 6 79.16x
Shoreditch London 6 1.57x
South Bersted 6 47.39x
Wonersh 6 111.73x
Brighton 5 1.67x
Brightside Bierlow 5 2.91x
Broughton Astley 5 233.64x
Chertsey 5 17.99x
Govan 5 0.71x
Hascombe 5 381.68x
Heigham 5 6.86x
Henfield 5 87.41x
Newton Biggin 5 684.93x
Old Stratford 5 39.68x
Oxford St Peter In East 5 238.10x
Richmond 5 8.29x
Romford 5 18.15x
Ryton On Dunsmore 5 364.96x
St Andrewthe Less 5 7.83x
St Luke London 5 3.53x
St Pancras London 5 0.70x
Trevethin 5 8.30x
Barrington 4 211.64x
Beccles 4 23.11x
Caterham 4 21.04x
Ditton 4 392.16x
Fritwell 4 235.29x
Gamlingay 4 68.73x
Kessingland 4 107.82x
Micklefield 4 190.48x
Northampton Priory St 4 8.03x
Steeple Aston 4 194.17x
Tonbridge 4 3.68x
Toot Baldon 4 606.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 48
Elizabeth 32
Sarah 31
Eliza 22
Ellen 20
Jane 18
Annie 17
Ann 16
Emily 11
Emma 11
Alice 10
Louisa 10
Martha 10
Clara 9
Maria 9
Florence 8
Hannah 8
Fanny 7
Harriett 7
Susan 7
Charlotte 6
Edith 6
Harriet 6
Caroline 5
Lucy 4
Margaret 4
Anne 3
Eleanor 3
Esther 3
Laura 3
Lydia 3
Phoebe 3
Rose 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Christiana 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Georgeannah 2
Grace 2
Harriot 2
Helen 2
Honor 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Matilda 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Rosa 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 73
John 37
Thomas 32
James 29
Charles 27
George 27
Henry 26
Walter 18
Arthur 14
Frederick 14
Robert 14
Alfred 12
Edward 8
Richard 8
Samuel 8
Herbert 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Edwin 5
Peter 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Adam 3
Alexander 3
Ernest 3
Fred 3
David 2
H.J. 2
Harry 2
Josh. 2
Louis 2
Stephen 2
Wm.Jno. 2
Ada 1
Charley 1
Collins 1
Evelyn 1
Ewart 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.B. 1
Geo. 1
Geore 1
Issac 1
Jacob 1
Jas.S. 1
Jasper 1
Jehosaphat 1
Jesse 1

FAQ

Turrell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Turrell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 904 people were recorded with the Turrell surname. That placed it at #4,221 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Turrell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,751 in 2016. That gives Turrell a modern rank of #3,582.

What does the Turrell surname mean?

A topographic name for someone who lived near a small hill or rise of land.

What does the Turrell map show?

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