Find out how popular the last name Turan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Turan.

Turan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Turan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Turan in America

Turan is the 33856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Turan surname appeared 672 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Turan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Turan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Turan

The surname Turan has its origins rooted in the Persian language and can be traced back to the ancient region known as Turan, which encompassed parts of modern-day Central Asia and Iran. This name is derived from the Old Persian word "tura," meaning "strong" or "brave."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Turan can be found in the ancient Persian epic, the Shahnameh, written by the celebrated poet Ferdowsi in the 10th century AD. The epic narrates the mythical battle between the Iranian hero Fereydun and the tyrant Zahhak, who hailed from the land of Turan.

During the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to the 13th centuries, the name Turan gained prominence. Several notable figures bore this surname, including Turan Shah, a Seljuk prince who ruled over parts of modern-day Iran in the 12th century.

As the centuries passed, the name Turan spread to various regions, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging. In some areas, it was written as "Turani" or "Tourani," reflecting the influence of local dialects and languages.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Turan in written documents can be found in the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri, a historical chronicle compiled by the Persian historian Minhaj-us-Siraj in the 13th century. This work mentions a prominent figure named Turan Khan, who served as a military commander under the Ghaznavid Empire in the 11th century.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Turan throughout history are:

1. Turan Mirza (1489-1543), a Persian prince and ruler of the Safavid Dynasty.
2. Turan Bulut (1905-1978), a renowned Turkish novelist and playwright.
3. Turan Dursun (1934-1990), a Turkish Islamic scholar and writer.
4. Turan Güneş (born 1935), a Turkish journalist and author.
5. Turan Müjgân (1937-2014), a Turkish poet and writer.

While the name Turan has its roots in the Persian language and culture, it has spread across various regions and communities, carrying with it a rich tapestry of historical significance and cultural connotations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Turan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Turan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Turan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Turan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Turan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Turan, please contact us.

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