Find out how popular the last name McQuillan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named McQuillan.

McQuillan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the McQuillan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQuillan in America

McQuillan is the 12269th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQuillan surname appeared 2,535 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname McQuillan.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQuillan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name McQuillan

The surname McQuillan has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Mac Uidhilín," which means "son of Uidhilín." Uidhilín is thought to be a diminutive form of the name "Uidhir," which means "dun" or "brown-haired."

The McQuillan clan was prominent in County Antrim, particularly in the area around Dunluce Castle, which served as their stronghold for centuries. The name appears in various medieval Irish manuscripts and records, such as the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, which mentions a "Mac Uidhilín" in 1213. Another notable figure was Rory Mor McQuillan, who was the Lord of Dunluce Castle in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Irish clans and the English during that time period.

In the 16th century, the McQuillans were involved in the Nine Years' War (1594-1603), which was part of the larger conflict between the Gaelic Irish and the English forces in Ireland. Coll McQuillan, who lived around 1580, was a prominent leader during this time and fought against the English.

Another notable figure was James McQuillan (1619-1680), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Ireland and the Catholic Church. He was born in County Antrim and served as a chaplain in the Irish Confederate Army during the Irish Confederate War (1641-1653).

In the 18th century, John McQuillan (1728-1803) was a prominent Irish politician and landowner from County Antrim. He served as a member of the Irish House of Commons and was known for his support of Catholic emancipation.

The McQuillan name can also be found in various place names in Ireland, such as Dunluce Castle, which was historically referred to as "McQuillan's Castle" or "McQuillan's Seat." Additionally, there are several townlands and parishes in County Antrim that bear variations of the name, such as Ballymaquillian and Dunmuckillan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQuillan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname McQuillan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for McQuillan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of McQuillan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name McQuillan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of McQuillan, please contact us.

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