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

Turgeon, 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 Turgeon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Turgeon in America

Turgeon is the 8999th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Turgeon surname appeared 3,635 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Turgeon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Turgeon 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 Turgeon

The surname Turgeon originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "tourjon," which means "young bull" or "young ox." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked with cattle or oxen, such as a farmer or a drover.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Turgeon can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a person named "Turgius" who held land in Oxfordshire, England.

In the 13th century, a noble family by the name of Turgeon resided in the village of Turgy, near the city of Bourges in central France. This village likely took its name from the Turgeon family, indicating their prominence in the area.

A notable individual with the surname Turgeon was Jean Turgeon, a French merchant and explorer who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to establish trade relations with the indigenous peoples of what is now Canada.

In the 17th century, a French soldier named Pierre Turgeon fought in the Thirty Years' War and later settled in the colony of New France (present-day Quebec, Canada). He is considered one of the earliest bearers of the Turgeon name in North America.

During the French Revolution in the late 18th century, a lawyer named Jacques Turgeon was a member of the Estates-General and advocated for the rights of the Third Estate (commoners). He was born in 1744 and died in 1817.

Another notable figure with the Turgeon surname was Pierre-Édouard Turgeon, a Canadian politician who served as Premier of Quebec from 1887 to 1890. He was born in 1834 and passed away in 1917.

Throughout history, the Turgeon name has been associated with various occupations and professions, including agriculture, military service, law, and politics. Despite its French origins, it has spread to other parts of the world, particularly to North America, where it continues to be a prominent surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Turgeon

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

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 Turgeon 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 Turgeon 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 Turgeon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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