As described in historical dictionaries

Patronymica Britannica (1860)

TURNER. Fr. founiicr, a baker or luruace man. Fournier, Dufour, &c., are common Fr. surnames. TURNER. The occupation. One of the most common of surnames — " out of all proportion," Mr. Ferguson alleges, " to the number of persons engaged in the trade " of the lathe. " We find it in fact," he continues, " as a name before the Conquest — a grant to tlie monastery of Croylaud. in 1051, being signed, among others, by a Turnerns Capellanus. The Icelandic has turnera, turnameutum agere ; turnarl, a tilter — which may probably shew the origin of the name. As, however, the Turner in question was a bishoj's chaplain, his " tilting " must have been only theological. But the name may probably have been baptismal, and perhaps of Norman introduction." p. 336. Le Turnur, Le Turner. H.R. See Turnour below.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.


Surname type: Occupational name

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

BritishSurnames.uk is a Good Stuff website.