Surname Turunen - Meaning and Origin
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Turunen: What does the surname Turunen mean?
The surname Turunen comes from Finland and is a toponymic surname. This means it originates from a place name. It is associated with the city of Turku, which is located in the south-west of Finland. The origin of the city's name is believed to come from the Swedish word Åbo, which means "The Place of the Water".
The most common variant of the Turunen surname is believed to have originated in the 15th century when people started to use permanent surnames. This was mainly done to identify family members and distinguish them from outsiders. The surname was especially popular in Finland and Sweden, where it was used to refer to anyone with connections to the city of Turku.
The Turunen surname is derived from the Finnish word “turku”, which means “market”. It is likely that this surname originates from the fact that members of the Turunen family had a business in the old market of Turku. This could mean that they were merchants, innkeepers, or other professionals connected to the market.
To this day, having the Turunen surname means being part of an iconic community with a proud history and a strong sense of tradition. Having roots close to the magical city of Turku makes it even more special, as does the fact that this surname is unique to Finland. As the bearers of this name, many can be proud of their Finnish heritage and the cultural legacy connected to it.
Order DNA origin analysisTurunen: Where does the name Turunen come from?
The last name Turunen is common today in Finland and Estonia. It likely originates from the Finnish city of Turku, also known as Åbo in Swedish. The Finnish version of the name is derived from the Swedish name Åbo, which is where the family originates. In Estonia, the name is derived from the Estonian city of Tartu, which is also known as Dorpat in German and Yuryev in Russian.
The Turunen surname is quite common in Finland, where it is the 22nd most common surname. In Estonia, it is far less common but is still in the top 500 surnames. There are also a handful of Turunens in the United States who likely originate from Finland or Estonia.
Families called Turunen were likely created when a family member moved from their original hometown to a new city for work or to start a family. This likely accounts for the spread of the surname from Finland to Estonia.
The Turunen name carries with it a long history of noble families, with branches in both Finland and Estonia. The name seemed to have disappeared in the late 1600s when all of the Turunen families were stripped of their nobility and estates as a result of Sweden’s rivalry with Russia. But, in the early 1800s, the Turunens began to reemerge and the name is now still held in high regard.
Today, the name Turunen remains fairly common in Finland and Estonia, with a few descendants scattered throughout the United States.
Variations of the surname Turunen
Turunen is a Finnish surname which is of patronymic origin. The patronymic form is Tuure and the feminine form is Turusen. Variants of Turunen include Tarunen, Tarrunen, Turonen, Turoonen, and Turusane. Spelling variations of the surname can include Turunen, Turjonen, Turonen and Terminen.
The common Finnish surnames Turunen, Tuure, and Turusen are derived from the Old Norse given name Thorbjørn. This name is composed of two elements: Thor, the name of the Norse god of thunder and Bjørn, meaning “bear”. In combination, Thorbjørn means “Bear of Thor.”
Another source of the surname Turunen is Juhaninpoika which is a Finnish diminutive of Juhana, a variant of Johannes meaning “John”. This form of the surname can appear as Jouhannanpoika, Juheninpoika, Juhenpoika, and Tuhannenpoika.
In addition to Turunen, other surnames of the same origin may include Jouhanin, Turus, Tura, Tuhano, Tuuramäki, Tuurna, Tuuramaa, and Turonkinen.
In total, the surname Turunen has many variants, spellings and surnames, each of which may have its own unique history or origin story. From Thorbjørn to Johaninpoika and from Tuuramäki to Turonkinen, each one can be traced back to one unique origin story making Turunen a surname with many storied origins.
Famous people with the name Turunen
- Tarja Turunen: a former singer of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, which he fronted from 1997–2005, and now pursues a successful career as a solo artist.
- Ville Turunen: a professional ice hockey player in Finland who is currently playing for Ässät.
- Jukka Turunen: a Finnish former professional football player.
- Sami Turunen: a Finnish former professional ice dancer.
- Lea Turunen: an actress and voice actress from Finland.
- Samuli Turunen: a Finnish footballer who currently plays for FC Hämeenlinna.
- Antti Turunen: a Finnish former professional ice hockey player.
- Eero Turunen: a Finnish-Norwegian football player.
- Johannes Turunen: a Finnish former professional footballer.
- Jorma Turunen: a Finnish former professional ice hockey player who played most of his career in Sweden.