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Turner (surname)

Turner is a common surname originating from Normandy, France, arriving in England after the Norman conquest with the earliest known records dated in the 12th century. It is the 28th-most common surname in the United Kingdom.

Most often it derives from an occupational name applied to a maker of small objects out of wood, metal or bone, by turning on a lathe (from Old French ''tornier'', "lathe", ultimately from Latin). In this sense it is analogous to the German surnames Drexel, Drechsler, Dressler, and Dreyer, Polish Tokarz, Finnish Sorvari, Russian Токарь (''Tokarʼ'') and related to English surnames such as Potter and Crocker. Other occasional origins include Old French ''tournoieur'', referring to someone either in charge of, or who participates in a tournament, and ''Turnhare'', referring to a fast runner (one who can outrun a hare).

Early recordings of this surname include Ralph le Turner in the late 12th century. The earliest recorded spelling of this family name dates from 1180 for "Warner le Turnur". Provided by Wikipedia