2000
#11,978
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,393
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Turnipseed
A surname referring to someone who grew or sold turnips as an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,679 Americans carry the last name Turnipseed. That puts it at #12,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Turnipseed 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
2.7K
1 in 127,941
Census rank
#12,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,336 bearers of the surname Turnipseed in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnipseed, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Turnipseed
The surname Turnipseed is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "turnep" meaning turnip and "sæd" meaning seed or plant. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a field where turnips were grown or someone who cultivated and sold turnip seeds.
The earliest known record of the name Turnipseed appears in the Gloucestershire County Rolls of 1275, where a John Turnepesed is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time. Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Turnipsed, Turnepseede, and Turnypseed.
In the 16th century, the name Turnipseed can be found in the Norfolk Musters of 1552, where a Richard Turnipseed is listed. This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and presence in different parts of England during that period.
One notable individual with the surname Turnipseed was William Turnipseed, born in 1642 in Somerset, England. He was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the local community. Another early bearer of the name was John Turnipseed, born in 1668 in Gloucestershire, who worked as a merchant and trader.
As the name spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles. In the 18th century, a James Turnipseed, born in 1712 in County Antrim, Ireland, became a prominent figure in the local community, serving as a magistrate and landowner.
The name Turnipseed also made its way to the American colonies, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Thomas Turnipseed, born in 1725 in Virginia. He was a farmer and played a role in the establishment of his local community.
Another notable individual with the surname Turnipseed was John Turnipseed, born in 1789 in South Carolina. He served as a soldier during the War of 1812 and later became a successful farmer and landowner in his home state.
Throughout its history, the surname Turnipseed has been associated with various occupations, from farmers and landowners to merchants and traders. While it may have originated as a locational name, it has since become a widespread surname found in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong English and British cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Turnipseed
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnipseed, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Turnipseed 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 Turnipseed surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.3% · 1,269
- Black or African American37.5% · 876
- Two or more races4.2% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Turnipseed
Turnipseed appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,435
+42 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 705 places
2020
#12,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,336
-99 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 65 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,978 | 2,393 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,683 | 2,435 | 0.83 | +42 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 705 places |
| 2020 | #12,618 | 2,336 | 0.78 | -99 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 65 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 Turnipseed 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 | #12,683 | #12,618 | 0.5% |
| Count | 2,435 | 2,336 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.78 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Turnipseed bearers went from 2,435 to 2,336 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 65 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,683 to #12,618.
FAQ
Turnipseed surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Turnipseed?
Name Census estimates that about 2,679 living Americans carry the surname Turnipseed. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,941 residents.
How common is Turnipseed?
Turnipseed ranks #12,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,336 people with the surname Turnipseed. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Turnipseed.
Has Turnipseed become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Turnipseed went from 2,435 recorded bearers to 2,336. That is a decrease of 99 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,683 to #12,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Turnipseed?
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnipseed, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Turnipseed in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.3% (1,269 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Turnipseed appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.3%), Black (37.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Turnipseed (2000, 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 Turnipseed mean?
A surname referring to someone who grew or sold turnips as an occupation. 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 Turnipseed (0.78 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 Turnipseed?
If you just want to know how many people are called Turnipseed, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.