Turner is an English occupational surname for a "lathe worker", a craftsman who turned wood or bone into bowls and spindles. The painter J. M. W. Turner, media founder Ted Turner and the rebel Nat Turner have all carried it, and as a first name it belongs to the American fashion for surnames like Carter and Tucker. Turner ranked number 901 in 2000, peaked at number 839 in 2001 and has stayed near the edge of the top 1000 since, at number 1107 in 2025.