Quentin
From the Latin name Quintinus, a diminutive of Quintus, meaning "fifth-born".
Name Census estimates that about 37,918 living Americans carry the first name Quentin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Quentin today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quentin births was 1998 (1,052 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quentin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Quentin is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 190 girls registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
38K
~ 1 in 9,039 Americans
Peak year
1998
1,052 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2024 SSA rank
#788
Tracked since 1900
Gender
Gender distribution for Quentin
Out of the 43,416 babies given the name Quentin since 1880, 99.6% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Quentin as a male name
- Ranked #788 in 2024
- 318 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1998 (1,052 births)
Quentin as a female name
- Ranked #15,970 in 2015
- 6 female births in 2015
- Peak: 1984 (14 births)
Popularity
Quentin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quentin from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 8,416 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Quentin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Quentin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Quentins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 50 states and territories. Texas, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Quentin, while Rhode Island, Maine, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 765 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Quentin
The name Quentin has its origins in the Latin language. It is derived from the Roman surname Quintinus, which itself originates from the Latin word "quintus," meaning "the fifth." This suggests that the name may have initially denoted the fifth child in a family.
The name first gained prominence during the early years of Christianity. It is believed to have been borne by several early Christian martyrs, including Saint Quentin, who was beheaded in Amiens, France, during the 3rd century AD under the reign of Emperor Maximian. His martyrdom led to the widespread adoption of the name among early Christians.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quentin can be found in the writings of the 6th-century historian Gregory of Tours, who documented the life of Saint Quentin and his fellow martyrs. The name also appears in various medieval texts and records, particularly in France and other parts of Western Europe.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Quentin. One of the most renowned was Quentin Matsys (1466-1530), a Flemish Renaissance painter and founder of the Antwerp school of painting. His most famous works include "The Moneylender and His Wife" and "The Ugly Duchess."
Another prominent figure was Quentin Durward (c. 1430-1463), a Scottish archer and courtier who served under the French King Louis XI. His life and adventures were immortalized in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Quentin Durward," published in 1823.
In the 20th century, Quentin Crisp (1908-1999) was a celebrated English writer, artist, and performer, known for his flamboyant and unconventional lifestyle. His autobiography, "The Naked Civil Servant," was adapted into a highly acclaimed television film in 1975.
Another noteworthy figure was Quentin Blake (born 1932), the renowned British cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his collaborations with the author Roald Dahl, including illustrations for books like "The Witches" and "Matilda."
Quentin Tarantino (born 1963) is a celebrated American filmmaker and actor, known for his unique style and acclaimed films such as "Pulp Fiction," "Kill Bill," and "Inglourious Basterds." His distinctive use of the name has contributed to its enduring popularity in recent decades.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Quentin
People
Quentin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quentin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Quentin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quentin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 37,918 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quentin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 9,039 US residents.
Is Quentin a common name?
We classify Quentin as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43,416 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quentin most popular?
The single biggest year for Quentin was 1998, when 1,052 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quentin is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Quentin a male name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Quentin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.