Turner Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Turner Family History

Turner Family History

The Turner ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Surnames developed a wide number of variants over the centuries. Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Turner include Turnor, Turnhour and Aletunner. Meaning 'latheworker', this is an occupational name for someone who makes small objects out of wood, metal or bone, by turning on a Lathe. This name was introduced from Normandy around the thirteenth century and is thus of Anglo-Norman descent spreading from England to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries. Examples of such are an Aylbricht le Turner, London, and a Geoffrey le Turner, County Cambridgeshire, who were recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273. A Thomas dictus Turnour is recorded as holding lands in Aberdeen, Scotland, in the year 1382. In Ireland this name and its variants are on record since the fifteenth century and were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland. The Gaelic form of the name is 'Mac an Tuirneir'. The Turner family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Turner descendants.