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

Turnbull, 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 Turnbull surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Turnbull in America

Turnbull is the 4267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Turnbull surname appeared 8,320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Turnbull.

We can also compare 2010 data for Turnbull 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 Turnbull

The surname Turnbull originated in Scotland in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "turn" meaning a circular defensive structure, and "bul" meaning a stream or rivulet. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a circular defensive structure by a stream.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after his conquest of parts of Scotland. The rolls mention one Walter Turnebull from Roxburghshire.

The Turnbulls were a prominent border clan in the Scottish-English border region. They held lands in Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire, particularly around the area of Rule Water. The family's stronghold was Barnhill Castle near Hawick.

In the 14th century, the Turnbulls were involved in many border skirmishes and feuds with other clans like the Douglases and the Scotts. One notable member was William Turnbull, who was killed in a raid by the Douglas clan in 1417.

During the 16th century, the Turnbulls were considered one of the most notorious reiving (raiding) families on the borders. Their exploits were recorded in the ballad "The Sang of the Outlaw Murray" and in Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Monastery".

Notable Turnbulls throughout history include George Turnbull (1616-1657), an English clergyman and religious writer; William Turnbull (1679-1743), a Scottish mathematician and physician; and Robert Turnbull (1909-1998), a British journalist and author known for his coverage of World War II.

Other famous individuals with the surname include Malcolm Turnbull (born 1954), the former Prime Minister of Australia; Watt Key Turnbull (1904-1992), a Scottish-American architect; and Grace Turnbull (1880-1976), an American academic and suffragist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Turnbull

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

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

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

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