The Turnbul Family Name

Turnbul is best understood alongside Turnbull: both are Scottish spellings of one family name. At root, the name means “turn the bull", a nickname for strength"”.

Without the “l” of Turnbull, Turnbul is a simpler written form of the same name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists.

Looking for a Turnbul coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours. Want more than a summary? See the Turnbul family name pack.