Explore the Family Name Turk
The meaning of Turk
1. English (mainly Gloucestershire) and Dutch; German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) (also Türk): from Middle English, Old French turc, Middle High and Low German Turc ‘Turk’, all ultimately from Turkish Türk. In theory this could be an ethnic name but, both in England and northwest Europe, it is generally a nickname for a man with black hair and a swarthy complexion or a cruel, rowdy, or unruly man. The English surname may also be from a medieval personal name, a back-formation from Turkel, misanalyzed as containing the Old French diminutive suffix -el. The Dutch and German surname also represents a topographic or habitational name referring to a house name derived from the use of a picture of a Turk as a house sign. It is also found as a nickname for someone who had taken part in the wars against the Turks. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). Compare Turck and Tuerk. 2. Slovenian (also Türk) and Croatian: nickname for a refugee from the Turks in the 15th and 16th centuries, or e.g. for someone who behaved or looked like a Turk, from an old vernacular spelling of the Slovenian and dialectal Croatian ethnic name Turek ‘Turk’. Refugees were not ethnic Turks, but Croats and Serbs from ‘Turkey’, i.e. the Ottoman Empire, which included whole Bosnia and parts of Croatia. The Slovenian surname may in some cases also be a nickname from any of various plants named tur(e)k. Compare Turck, Turek, and Tuerk. 3. Turkish (Türk): ethnic or ornamental name from Türk ‘Turk’. 4. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational from one of places in Eastern Europe called Turki or Turka. 5. Americanized form of Greek Tourkos, an ethnic name meaning ‘Turk’. See also Turco. 6. Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Tuirc, a patronymic from the byname Torc ‘boar’. History: This surname (from Alsace and Lorraine; see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (along with the variants or altered forms Turque, Turck, and Türk) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Turk in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname "Turk" has seen slight changes in popularity over the years. In 2000, the surname was ranked 3277 in terms of popularity, with a count of 10,021 and a proportion of 3.71 per 100,000 people. However, by 2010, the surname had dropped in rank to 3450, despite a small increase in count to 10,354 and a slight decrease in proportion to 3.51 per 100,000 people. This represents a change of -5.28% in rank and +3.32% in count.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,277 | #3,450 | -5.28% |
| Count | 10,021 | 10,354 | 3.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.71 | 3.51 | -5.39% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Turk
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Turk" also saw changes from 2000 to 2010 based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly from 0.57% in 2000 to 1.08% in 2010, a change of 89.47%. There was also an increase in the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic (from 1.90% to 2.74%) and those identifying as two or more races (from 1.40% to 1.93%). On the other hand, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of individuals identifying as White, from 85.77% to 83.64%, and minimal increases among those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.77% | 83.64% | -2.48% |
| Black | 10.02% | 10.25% | 2.3% |
| Hispanic | 1.9% | 2.74% | 44.21% |
| Two or More Races | 1.4% | 1.93% | 37.86% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.57% | 1.08% | 89.47% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.36% | 2.86% |
Turk ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Turk is British & Irish, which comprises 34.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.0%) and Eastern European (10.7%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 34.4% |
| French & German | 23.0% |
| Eastern European | 10.7% |
| Other | 31.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Turk
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Turk have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 67.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 67.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 66.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 66.70% |
What Turk haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Turk is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-L26 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Simon, Rosa, Miller, Pinto, Frank, Turner, Albert, Fischer, Andrews, Hart.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Turk surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Turk have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Turk" Surname 31.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Turk" Surname 35.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Turk" Surname 15.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Turk" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Turk?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Turk are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition