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

Turnquest, 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 Turnquest surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Turnquest in America

Turnquest is the 77522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Turnquest surname appeared 247 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 Turnquest.

We can also compare 2010 data for Turnquest 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 Turnquest

The surname TURNQUEST is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely as a locational name derived from a specific place or region. One possible explanation is that it may have derived from a combination of the Old English words "turn," meaning a spinning or winding motion, and "cyst," referring to a chest or coffer, potentially suggesting an occupation related to turning or woodworking.

Early records of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John de Turncyst. This suggests that the name may have originally been spelled with variations such as Turncyst or Turnecyst before evolving into its current form.

The TURNQUEST surname is also believed to have connections to various place names in England. For instance, there are villages named Turnditch in Derbyshire and Turnworth in Dorset, both of which could potentially have influenced the formation of the surname.

Notable historical figures bearing the TURNQUEST surname include Sir John Turnquest, a prominent English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another was William Turnquest, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, records show a Thomas Turnquest who was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and suffered persecution for his religious beliefs. During the same period, there was also a Richard Turnquest, a successful landowner and farmer in the county of Gloucestershire.

Moving into the 18th century, one noteworthy individual was Captain James Turnquest, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several battles during the American Revolutionary War.

While the TURNQUEST surname is not among the most common surnames globally, it has left its mark on history through various individuals who bore the name across different periods and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Turnquest

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

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

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

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