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Turney History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Turney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

Early Origins of the Turney family

The surname Turney was first found in Kerry (Irish: Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where they held a family seat as the Viscounts Clanmaurice seated at Abbeydorney. Irish history was greatly influenced by the Norman invasion of 1172, and thereafter, the surnames of Irish Gaelic clanns and septs and many of the Norman families became almost indistinguishable. This family name was found later in Cork but the name is mostly found in Ulster and here represented the first recorded reference to the name.

As far as the Dorney variant is concerned, "Woulfe makes this Cork and Tipperary name Ó Doirinne. It takes the form Durney in east Munster." 1

The Torney variant descends from the Irish O'Torna, (descendant of Torn) "Torney is now a pretty common family- name, the correct form of which is O'Torna. According to O'Curry, they derive their name from the celebrated poet Torna Eigeas, who flourished in the fourth century; and they inhabited the district of O'Torna in the North of Kerry." 2 "Ó Torna This name is mainly found in Ulster; but it is also a synonym of Dorney of Cos. Cork and Kerry." 3

Torna Éices nicknamed Éices or Éces ("the poet, sage"), was noted as "the last great bard of Pagan Ireland." He was the foster-father of the Irish kings Corc and Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Early History of the Turney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Turney research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Turney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turney Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dorney, Torney, O'Dorney, O'Torney, Durney, O'Durney, Turney and many more.

Early Notables of the Turney family

More information is included under the topic Early Turney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Turney Ranking

In the United States, the name Turney is the 3,761^st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Turney migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Turney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Turney, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 5
Richard Turney, who arrived in Maryland in 1659 5

Turney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Turney, who settled in Maryland in 1761

Turney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Eugene Patrick Turney, aged 22, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1846 5
S H Turney, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
John Turney, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1854 5
James Turney, who settled in Philadelphia in 1855
Francis Turney, who settled in Philadelphia in 1868
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Turney migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Turney Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mary Turney, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Timothy Turney, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Thomas Turney U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 6
Mr. Thomas Turney Jr.,U.E. (b. 1753) born in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA who settled in Burton, Sundbury Count, New Brunswick c. 1784 he died in 1840 6

Turney migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Turney Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Turney, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cressy" in 1847 7

Turney migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Turney Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Turney, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Maria Turney, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
Jane Turney, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ann Wilson" in 1857
L. Turney, aged 29, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
Bridget Turney, aged 30, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Turney (post 1700) +

Edwin Turney (1929-2008), American businessman, one of the founders of Advanced Micro Devices
Norris Turney (1921-2001), American jazz flautist and saxophonist
Peter Turney (1827-1903), American politician, Governor of the Tennessee (1893 to 1897)
Jacob Turney (1825-1891), American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Hopkins L. Turney (1797-1857), American politician, United States Senator from Tennessee
M. M. Turney, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1924 8
Lester F. Turney (b. 1878), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Windsor, 1917-20 8
Karen Turney, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 2000 8
Jacob Turney (1825-1891), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 22nd District, 1858-60; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 21st District, 1875-79 8
Hopkins Lacy Turney (1797-1857), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Tennessee State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Tennessee 5th District, 1837-43; U.S. Senator from Tennessee, 1845-51 8
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CRESSY 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Cressy.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html