torner

Torner is a term with limited current use, appearing primarily as a surname and, in English, as a rarely encountered occupational noun. In English, torner is an archaic or variant spelling of turner, a craftsman who operates a lathe to shape wood or metal. Today, the form turner is overwhelmingly preferred, and torner is mostly found in historical texts, guild records, or genealogical sources.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from the verb turn, with the agent suffix -er. Before spelling standardization, several spellings coexisted, and torner can be found in older English documents describing people who rotated workpieces on a lathe. In modern contexts, the distinction between torner and turner is largely of historical interest.

As a surname: Torner is also a surname used in various Romance-language–influenced communities. Occupational surnames often reflect ancestral roles, so torner may have originated from an ancestor who worked as a lathe operator or in a related craft, though regional histories can yield different interpretations. The surname remains relatively uncommon.

See also: Turner, a more common variant of the same occupational origin; lathe, the machine associated with the craft; woodturning, the craft form most people associate with the term turner.