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Turning Family History

Turning Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Durning, Tuning, Turpin, Horning, Dorning, Burling, Arning, Turin

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Turning family from?

You can see how Turning families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Turning family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1861 and 1920. The most Turning families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 13 Turning families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 68% of all the recorded Turning's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Turning families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Turning 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 Turning ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Turning. 40% of Turning men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Turning women worked as a Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Turning | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Farm Operator
    20%
  • Salesman
    20%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    100%

What Turning family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 2,000 census records available for the last name Turning. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Turning census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Turning

Passenger Lists

There are 225 immigration records available for the last name Turning. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Turning immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Turning. For the veterans among your Turning ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Turning military records

You've only scratched the surface of Turning family history

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What is the average Turning lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2000, in the United States, Turning life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1994. The average life expectancy for Turning in 1961 was 46, and 68 in 2000.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Turning

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Turning 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Turning family tree

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