2000
#10,369
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Turnbow
An English occupational surname referring to an archer or bowman skilled at making turns or spinning while shooting.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,297 Americans carry the last name Turnbow. That puts it at #10,625 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Turnbow 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.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,959
Census rank
#10,625
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,875 bearers of the surname Turnbow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10625th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Turnbow
The surname Turnbow has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "turn" and "boga," which together mean "maker of bows or crossbows." This suggests that the name was originally an occupational surname given to someone whose trade was making bows or crossbows.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in counties such as Staffordshire and Warwickshire. Some of the earliest spellings of the name included Turnbowe, Turnebowe, and Turneboghe, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Turnbow was John Turnbowe, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327. Another early reference can be found in the Warwickshire Feet of Fines from 1430, which mentions a William Turnebowe.
The Turnbow surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Turnbull in Northumberland and Turnbough in Yorkshire. These place names likely originated from the same root words as the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and specific locations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Turnbow surname. One such person was Richard Turnbow (1590-1668), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as a minister in various parishes in Warwickshire and Leicestershire.
Another notable figure was John Turnbow (1623-1687), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Southampton in the late 17th century.
In the 18th century, there was Samuel Turnbow (1715-1792), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and pumping machinery.
Moving into the 19th century, we find William Turnbow (1819-1898), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.
Lastly, one of the more recent historical figures with the Turnbow surname was Alfred Turnbow (1885-1968), an English-born American author and journalist who wrote extensively about life in the American West during the early 20th century.
While the Turnbow surname may have originated as an occupational name, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history spanning several centuries and various notable individuals who have carried this name throughout the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Turnbow
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Turnbow 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 Turnbow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 2,354
- Black or African American9.1% · 262
- Two or more races4.1% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Turnbow
Turnbow 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
#10,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,955
+108 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 423 places
2020
#10,625
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,875
-80 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,369 | 2,847 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,792 | 2,955 | 1.00 | +108 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 423 places |
| 2020 | #10,625 | 2,875 | 0.96 | -80 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 167 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 Turnbow 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 | #10,792 | #10,625 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,955 | 2,875 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.96 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Turnbow bearers went from 2,955 to 2,875 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,792 to #10,625.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Turnbow
FAQ
Turnbow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Turnbow?
Name Census estimates that about 3,297 living Americans carry the surname Turnbow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,959 residents.
How common is Turnbow?
Turnbow ranks #10,625 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,875 people with the surname Turnbow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Turnbow.
Has Turnbow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Turnbow went from 2,955 recorded bearers to 2,875. That is a decrease of 80 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,792 to #10,625.
What does the Census say about the background of Turnbow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Turnbow, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Turnbow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (2,354 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Turnbow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Turnbow (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 Turnbow mean?
An English occupational surname referring to an archer or bowman skilled at making turns or spinning while shooting. 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 Turnbow (0.96 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 common is the surname Turnbow?
You can see how many people are called Turnbow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.