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

McQuiston, 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 McQuiston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McQuiston in America

McQuiston is the 13142nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McQuiston surname appeared 2,329 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 McQuiston.

We can also compare 2010 data for McQuiston 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 McQuiston

The surname McQuiston originated in the Scottish Highlands during the medieval period. It is a habitational name derived from the lands of Quarreltown, located near Johnstone in Renfrewshire. The name is a combination of the Gaelic words "cuarr" meaning "quarry" and "baile" meaning "town" or "settlement".

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his brief conquest of Scotland. The name was written as "Makewastoun" at that time.

In the 16th century, the McQuistons were a prominent family in Ayrshire and held lands in the parish of Kilwinning. John McQuiston, born around 1520, was a notable figure in the clan and played a role in the local disputes and feuds of the era.

During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, several McQuistons were listed as supporters of the Protestant cause. One such individual was William McQuiston, who signed the National Covenant in 1638, which was a Protestant declaration of opposition to the interference of the Stuart monarchs in the affairs of the Church of Scotland.

In the 18th century, the McQuistons were among the Scottish families who migrated to the American colonies. James McQuiston, born in 1725 in Ayrshire, was one of the early settlers in Pennsylvania, arriving in the 1760s.

Another notable figure was Robert McQuiston, born in 1790 in County Antrim, Ireland. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in Ohio, and his descendants played a significant role in the development of the Midwestern United States.

Other historical figures with the surname McQuiston include:

1. William McQuiston (1817-1901), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as a member of the Oregon Territory's legislative assembly.

2. John McQuiston (1833-1909), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery.

3. Mary McQuiston (1849-1917), an American educator and pioneer in the field of kindergarten education, who founded one of the first kindergartens in California.

4. John Ross McQuiston (1867-1945), a Canadian author and journalist who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest.

5. Samuel McQuiston (1869-1942), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and was involved in various legal and political organizations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McQuiston

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

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 McQuiston 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 McQuiston 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 McQuiston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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