Turner is an English occupational surname meaning one who works with a lathe — a turner of wood or metal — but its cultural resonance as a pet name comes primarily from Turner & Hooch (1989), the comedy in which Tom Hanks plays a detective paired with an enormous, drooling Dogue de Bordeaux. At rank 2558 with 36 registry appearances, Turner is a classic buddy-film tribute name.
The Turner & Hooch Connection
The 1989 film is one of the defining entries in the cop-and-dog genre, and the human character's surname Turner became an occasional pet name choice for owners who saw themselves as the straight-laced partner to their animal's chaos. A Dogue de Bordeaux named Turner is the most complete possible tribute; any large, slightly chaotic dog works nearly as well.
The Surname Aesthetic
Turner fits the broader trend of giving pets human surnames — Fletcher, Cooper, Harrison. These names read as deliberate and slightly formal, suggesting an owner who finds the slight distance between the human register and the pet context amusing and appropriate. See also Higgins and Watson.
The Counter-Reading: Dated Film Reference
Turner & Hooch is a 1989 film with a 2021 Disney+ reboot that didn't land as broadly. The reference is strongest among older owners; younger owners may simply read Turner as a pleasant surname choice without the film context. Both readings work.