NameCensus.

UK surname

Turton

A locational surname derived from a place named Turton in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 3,364 people recorded with the Turton surname, ranking it #1,354 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,860, ranked #1,394, down from #1,354 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Winwick, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Derbyshire, Barnsley and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Turton is 5,189 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.5%.

1881 census count

3,364

Ranked #1,354

Modern count

4,860

2016, ranked #1,394

Peak year

1999

5,189 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Turton had 3,364 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,354 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,860 in 2016, ranked #1,394.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,943 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Turton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Turton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Turton 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 2,293 #1,289
1861 historical 1,947 #1,501
1881 historical 3,364 #1,354
1891 historical 3,690 #1,295
1901 historical 4,460 #1,276
1911 historical 4,943 #1,058
1997 modern 5,023 #1,305
1998 modern 5,123 #1,325
1999 modern 5,189 #1,317
2000 modern 5,091 #1,336
2001 modern 5,026 #1,318
2002 modern 5,088 #1,332
2003 modern 4,989 #1,323
2004 modern 4,937 #1,335
2005 modern 4,817 #1,355
2006 modern 4,777 #1,370
2007 modern 4,818 #1,373
2008 modern 4,883 #1,359
2009 modern 4,952 #1,371
2010 modern 5,068 #1,372
2011 modern 5,002 #1,371
2012 modern 4,866 #1,379
2013 modern 4,969 #1,376
2014 modern 4,988 #1,376
2015 modern 4,899 #1,389
2016 modern 4,860 #1,394

Geography

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Where Turtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Winwick, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Sheffield, London parishes and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Derbyshire, Barnsley, County Durham and Gedling. 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 Winwick Lancashire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Derbyshire 014 North East Derbyshire
2 Barnsley 023 Barnsley
3 County Durham 044 County Durham
4 Gedling 006 Gedling
5 Barnsley 014 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Turton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Turton

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Turton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Turton is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Turton falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Turton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Turton

The surname Turton is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "tor" meaning a high rock or hill, and "tun" meaning a farm, village or settlement. It is a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from a place called Turton, which was likely a settlement situated on or near a rocky hill.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in Lancashire, England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard de Turton, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. The Assize Rolls were legal records documenting court proceedings and land disputes.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there is a reference to a place called "Tortune" in Lancashire, which is believed to be an early spelling of Turton. This suggests that the settlement of Turton existed in some form before the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

The Turton family held lands and properties in Lancashire for several centuries, with their ancestral home being Turton Tower, a fortified manor house built in the 15th century near the village of Turton. One notable member of the family was Sir John Turton (1508-1573), who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual with the surname Turton was William Turton (1784-1857), an English botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of British flora and fauna. He published several works, including "A General System of Nature" and "Conchological Dictionary of the British Islands."

In the 19th century, John Turton (1826-1895) was a successful industrialist and entrepreneur in the textile industry. He founded the Turton Brothers Company, which became one of the largest cotton manufacturers in Lancashire.

Other notable figures with the surname Turton include Edmund Turton (1857-1935), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and William Harry Turton (1856-1938), an English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Turton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Turton 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,200 Turtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.69x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,200 3.69x
Lancashire 720 1.85x
Nottinghamshire 237 5.36x
Staffordshire 232 2.09x
Derbyshire 225 4.38x
Warwickshire 138 1.67x
Middlesex 129 0.39x
Cheshire 106 1.46x
Hampshire 72 1.07x
Durham 42 0.43x
Worcestershire 37 0.86x
Kent 30 0.27x
Surrey 30 0.19x
Lincolnshire 25 0.48x
Berkshire 23 0.93x
Gloucestershire 15 0.23x
Leicestershire 12 0.33x
Northumberland 10 0.20x
Essex 9 0.14x
Sussex 8 0.14x
Norfolk 7 0.14x
Somerset 7 0.13x
Glamorgan 6 0.11x
Hertfordshire 6 0.27x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.19x
Shropshire 4 0.14x
Angus 3 0.10x
Cumberland 3 0.11x
Devon 3 0.04x
Lanarkshire 3 0.03x
Royal Navy 3 0.77x
Wiltshire 3 0.10x
Denbighshire 2 0.16x
Dorset 2 0.09x
Westmorland 2 0.28x
Monmouthshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 101 Turtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.66x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 101 3.66x
Sheffield 96 9.27x
Ashton In Makerfield 91 82.07x
Nottingham St Mary 85 7.43x
West Bromwich 84 13.25x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 64 21.13x
Ecclesall Bierlow 60 9.07x
Leeds 58 3.16x
Nether Hallam 53 12.05x
Skelmanthorpe 51 145.30x
Barnsley 44 13.12x
Haydock 43 64.09x
Wolverhampton 42 4.93x
Denby 37 210.83x
Ecclesfield 37 15.52x
Harborne 36 10.14x
Rawmarsh 35 30.47x
Monks Coppenhall 34 12.44x
Brightside Bierlow 32 5.02x
Basford 29 14.22x
Ilkeston 29 20.13x
Halewood 27 129.43x
Widnes 27 9.61x
Liverpool 25 1.06x
Huddersfield 23 4.85x
Manchester 23 1.31x
Newton In Makerfield 23 19.29x
Windle 23 10.50x
Kimberworth 22 12.19x
Ripley 22 34.64x
Snenton 22 12.66x
St Pancras London 22 0.83x
Wombwell 22 23.20x
Ackworth 21 84.07x
Darton 21 63.04x
Wigan 21 3.86x
Dewsbury 20 6.00x
Heaton Norris 20 9.02x
Swinton In Rotherham 20 23.26x
Andover 19 29.90x
Barugh 19 69.19x
Eckington 19 15.22x
Hucknall Torkard 19 16.94x
Skelmersdale 19 29.28x
Bromley London 18 2.49x
Everton 18 1.45x
Killamarsh 18 56.32x
Stockport 18 4.83x
Beeston 17 33.45x
Darfield 17 57.43x
Golborne 17 33.50x
Much Woolton 17 32.17x
Wooldale 17 30.83x
Ashton Under Lyne 16 1.88x
Aston 16 0.70x
Cumberworth 16 96.62x
Ealing 16 5.46x
Altrincham 15 11.85x
Calverton 15 107.14x
Hindley 15 9.04x
Kidderminster Borough 15 5.98x
Walsall Foreign 15 2.62x
Bury 14 3.15x
Cawthorne In Wortley 14 106.63x
Derby St Alkmund 14 9.09x
Pendleton In Salford 14 3.02x
Rothwell 14 21.32x
West Clayton 14 86.74x
Willington 14 24.82x
Hale 13 202.18x
Oldham 13 1.03x
Toxteth Park 13 0.99x
Brimington 12 30.76x
Eccleston In Prescot 12 6.14x
Lowton 12 45.30x
Salford 12 1.05x
Tipton 12 3.54x
Ardwick 11 3.13x
Camberwell 11 0.52x
Hunslet 11 2.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 235
Sarah 142
Elizabeth 138
Ann 73
Annie 64
Jane 61
Eliza 54
Ellen 49
Alice 48
Hannah 48
Emma 43
Emily 39
Martha 37
Ada 33
Margaret 29
Clara 27
Harriet 25
Charlotte 24
Fanny 24
Florence 24
Maria 21
Kate 17
Esther 16
Louisa 16
Edith 15
Agnes 13
Caroline 13
Amy 12
Catherine 12
Lucy 12
Susan 11
Frances 9
Harriett 9
Elizth. 8
Eleanor 7
Rose 7
Amelia 6
Beatrice 6
Betsy 6
Jessie 6
Lilly 6
Phoebe 6
Rebecca 6
Sophia 6
Anne 5
Bertha 5
Ethel 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Ruth 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 236
William 183
George 110
Thomas 101
James 99
Joseph 76
Charles 60
Henry 55
Walter 43
Samuel 40
Alfred 36
Arthur 35
Harry 32
Edward 31
Albert 25
Richard 21
Frederick 19
Robert 19
Frank 16
Fred 16
Benjamin 15
Edwin 15
Herbert 15
Tom 13
Isaac 11
David 10
Ernest 9
Wm. 8
Joe 7
Jonathan 7
Matthias 7
Peter 7
Wilfred 7
Geo. 6
Thos. 6
Francis 5
Job 5
Ralph 5
Ben 4
Jesse 4
Joshua 4
Jude 4
Robt. 4
Adam 3
Ephraim 3
Ephriam 3
Matthew 3
Reuben 3
Sam 3
Saml. 3

FAQ

Turton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Turton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,364 people were recorded with the Turton surname. That placed it at #1,354 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Turton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,860 in 2016. That gives Turton a modern rank of #1,394.

What does the Turton surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Turton in Lancashire, England.

What does the Turton map show?

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