2000
#2,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,475
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.25
Uncommon Last name
Turpin
Derived from a French place name meaning "little tower" or referring to someone who lived near a small tower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,091 Americans carry the last name Turpin. That puts it at #3,069 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Turpin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Turpin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,182
Census rank
#3,069
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,416 bearers of the surname Turpin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3069th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Turpin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Turpin
The surname Turpin originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "torpiner," which means "to turn" or "to twist." The name likely referred to someone who worked as a turner or woodworker, shaping objects on a lathe.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Turpin can be found in various medieval documents, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in this record, suggesting that individuals bearing the surname were present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Turpin was Richard Turpin, a notorious English highwayman who lived from 1705 to 1739. He gained notoriety for his daring exploits and became the subject of numerous stories and legends, further popularizing the name.
Another notable figure with the surname Turpin was François-René Turpin, a French botanist and artist who lived from 1780 to 1856. He is renowned for his intricate and beautifully detailed illustrations of plants, which were published in various scientific works.
In the literary world, Cyril Turpin was a British author and playwright who lived from 1897 to 1970. He wrote several successful plays, including "Billie," which was later adapted into a film.
The surname Turpin also has connections to the military. Sir Thomas Turpin was a British Army officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant-General and was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath for his distinguished service.
Another individual of historical significance was Pierre Turpin, a French Catholic priest and theologian who lived from 1512 to 1584. He played a prominent role in the Counter-Reformation and was known for his writings on ecclesiastical law and doctrine.
The surname Turpin has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting its diverse origins and the varied paths taken by those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Turpin
Among Census respondents with the surname Turpin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Turpin 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 Turpin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.1% · 9,145
- Black or African American10.6% · 1,214
- Two or more races4.4% · 504
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 392
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 74
Timeline
Historical Census data for Turpin
Turpin 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
#3,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,937
+462 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 4.05
Rank movement Down 132 places
2020
#3,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,416
-521 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 3.82
Rank movement Down 64 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,873 | 11,475 | 4.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,005 | 11,937 | 4.05 | +462 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 132 places |
| 2020 | #3,069 | 11,416 | 3.82 | -521 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 64 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 Turpin 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 | #3,005 | #3,069 | -2.1% |
| Count | 11,937 | 11,416 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.05 | 3.82 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Turpin bearers went from 11,937 to 11,416 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 64 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,005 to #3,069.
FAQ
Turpin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Turpin?
Name Census estimates that about 13,091 living Americans carry the surname Turpin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,182 residents.
How common is Turpin?
Turpin ranks #3,069 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,416 people with the surname Turpin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,091), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Turpin.
Has Turpin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Turpin went from 11,937 recorded bearers to 11,416. That is a decrease of 521 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,005 to #3,069.
What does the Census say about the background of Turpin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Turpin, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Turpin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.1% (9,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Turpin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.1%), Black (10.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Turpin (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 Turpin mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "little tower" or referring to someone who lived near a small tower. 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 Turpin (3.82 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 share the surname Turpin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.