2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Turmell
An English surname derived from the French term "tourmailler" meaning to harass or torment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Turmell. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Turmell surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Turmell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Turmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Turmell
The surname Turmell is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the Middle Ages period around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "turm," meaning tower or fortified structure, combined with the suffix "-ell," which denotes a small or diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or worked in a small tower or fortified building.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Turmell can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in a document from the year 1275, referring to a certain "Henricus Turmell" from the town of Meissen.
In the 14th century, there are records of a family bearing the name Turmell in the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce during that time. A merchant named Johann Turmell is mentioned in the city's archives from the year 1347.
During the 16th century, the name Turmell appears in various records from the region of Bavaria. One notable figure was Hans Turmell, a master woodcarver who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber between 1520 and 1585. His intricate woodcarvings can still be seen in some of the town's historic buildings and churches.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Turmell family settled in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Records from this period mention a Sebastian Turmell, who served as a magistrate in the city of Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland) during the 1670s.
Another prominent figure with the surname Turmell was Johann Friedrich Turmell, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1689 to 1748. He was a professor at the University of Halle and wrote several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
While the Turmell name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with various spellings and variations emerging over time. However, the surname's etymology and connection to the Old German word "turm" remains a consistent thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Turmell
Among Census respondents with the surname Turmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Turmell bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Turmell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Black or African American4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Turmell
Turmell appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,268 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 3,268 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Turmell surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #154,907 | #151,639 | 2.1% |
| Count | 105 | 107 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Turmell bearers went from 105 to 107 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 3,268 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #151,639.
FAQ
Turmell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Turmell?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Turmell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Turmell?
Turmell ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Turmell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Turmell.
Has Turmell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Turmell went from 105 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Turmell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Turmell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Turmell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Turmell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Turmell (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Turmell mean?
An English surname derived from the French term "tourmailler" meaning to harass or torment. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Turmell (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Turmell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Turmell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.