Names

Probably from the name of towns in England and Wales called Twist or Twiss. This surname was used by Charles Dickens for the hero of his novel Oliver Twist (1838), about an orphan surviving the streets of London. Dickens probably had the vocabulary word twist in mind when naming the character.

Habitational name derived from Old Norse þveit meaning “clearing”.

Occupational name for one who worked with a lathe, derived from Old English turnian “to turn”, of Latin origin.

Nickname for someone thought to be strong enough to turn around a bull.

Means “Turkish” in Italian.

From the name of the town of Turate near Como in Lombardy.

Occupational name for a herdsman, derived from Middle English toupe “ram”.

Derived from Finnish tuomi meaning “bird cherry”.

Americanized form of Teunissen.

Possibly from a diminutive of the given name Bartolomeo.