Quinshawn
An African American name derived from Quentin, of English origin meaning "fifth born child".
Name Census estimates that about 43 living Americans carry the first name Quinshawn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Quinshawn today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Quinshawn births was 1998 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Quinshawn. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Quinshawn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
43
~ 1 in 7,971,031 Americans
Peak year
1998
10 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2003 SSA rank
#12,294
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Quinshawn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Quinshawn from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 32 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Quinshawn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Quinshawn 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 Quinshawn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Quinshawn
The given name Quinshawn has its roots in the African American community, originating as a unique and creative name combination in the late 20th century. It does not appear to have direct linguistic ties to any specific language or culture, but was likely formed by blending existing name elements to create a distinctive moniker.
One possible origin theory suggests that Quinshawn is a combination of the prefix "Quin" and the name "Shawn." The prefix "Quin" could be derived from the Latin word "quintus," meaning "fifth," or from the Irish name "Quinn," meaning "descendant of Conn." The name "Shawn" is an anglicized version of the Irish name "Seán," which means "God is gracious." Thus, Quinshawn could represent a fusion of these elements, creating a unique and meaningful name.
While Quinshawn does not have a long historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent decades as a distinctive name choice within the African American community. Although there are no recorded instances of the name appearing in ancient texts or historical records, it has been embraced by several notable individuals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quinshawn can be found in the life of Quinshawn Booker, an American football defensive back who played for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) from 1998 to 2003. Born in 1974, Booker's name helped introduce Quinshawn to a wider audience.
Another prominent individual with the name Quinshawn is Quinshawn Davis, an American rapper, and songwriter better known by his stage name "Q Da Kid." Born in 1994, Davis has released several successful albums and has been a prominent figure in the hip-hop music scene.
In the realm of sports, Quinshawn Collon is a notable figure. Born in 1985, Collon is a former professional basketball player who played in various international leagues, including the British Basketball League (BBL) and the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
Quinshawn Brooks, born in 1991, is an American professional basketball player who has played in several international leagues, including the NBA G League and the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
Quinshawn Carr, born in 1989, is an American former professional basketball player who played in various international leagues, including the NBA G League and the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany.
While these are some of the notable individuals who have carried the name Quinshawn, it is important to note that the name's popularity and usage may continue to evolve over time, reflecting the dynamic nature of naming traditions within the African American community.
People
Quinshawn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Quinshawn 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
Quinshawn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Quinshawn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 43 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Quinshawn 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 7,971,031 US residents.
Is Quinshawn a common name?
We classify Quinshawn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Quinshawn most popular?
The single biggest year for Quinshawn was 1998, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Quinshawn is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Quinshawn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Quinshawn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Quinshawn 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.
Is Quinshawn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Quinshawn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Quinshawn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Quinshawn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.