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Turnbull Family History

Turnbull Surname Meaning

English (Durham and Northumberland) and Scottish: occupational name for one who herds bulls from Middle English turne-bole a compound of Middle English t(o)urnen ‘turn direct steer’ + bul(l)e ‘bull’.

Compare Bulman and Bullard.

Scottish (Roxburghshire): in the Scottish borderlands the name was either confused with or derived from Trumble.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Turnbull family from?

You can see how Turnbull families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Turnbull family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Turnbull families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,636 Turnbull families living in Durham. This was about 36% of all the recorded Turnbull's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Turnbull families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Turnbull surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Turnbull ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Turnbull. 9% of Turnbull men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Turnbull women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Turnbull were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Turnbull | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Turnbull family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 237,000 census records available for the last name Turnbull. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Turnbull census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Turnbull

Passenger Lists

There are 131,000 immigration records available for the last name Turnbull. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Turnbull immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 22,000 military records available for the last name Turnbull. For the veterans among your Turnbull ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Turnbull military records

You've only scratched the surface of Turnbull family history

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What is the average Turnbull lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Turnbull life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Turnbull in 1941 was 45, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Turnbull

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Turnbull ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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