2000
#28,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 773
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Quaid
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "cuaite" meaning a herd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 970 Americans carry the last name Quaid. That puts it at #29,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 353,355 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quaid surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Quaid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
970
1 in 353,355
Census rank
#29,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
846
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 846 bearers of the surname Quaid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quaid
The surname Quaid is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots that can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "cuaidh," which means "to go" or "to walk." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who traveled frequently or was known for their wanderlust.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quaid can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The Annals mention a "Quaid Ó Cearbhallán," who was a prominent figure in County Tyrone during the late 16th century.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Quaid began to spread beyond Ireland, particularly to Scotland and England. This was likely due to the migration of Irish families seeking better opportunities or fleeing the political and religious turmoil of the time.
One notable individual with the surname Quaid was Reverend Roger Quaid, a Presbyterian minister who lived in County Antrim, Ireland, in the late 18th century. He was known for his influential sermons and his efforts to promote education in the region.
In the early 19th century, a branch of the Quaid family settled in the Scottish Highlands, where they became prominent landowners and involved in the local community. One member of this family, John Quaid, born in 1812, was a respected magistrate and served as the sheriff of Inverness-shire.
Another prominent bearer of the Quaid name was James Quaid, an Irish-born journalist and political activist who lived in the late 19th century. He was a vocal advocate for Irish independence and played a significant role in the Irish nationalist movement.
As the Quaid family continued to spread across the British Isles and beyond, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Quade, Quayde, and Quayd. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual families.
Overall, the surname Quaid has a rich history that spans centuries and reflects the migration and experiences of Irish and Scottish families. Its origins can be traced back to the Irish Gaelic language, and it has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including clergy, landowners, and political activists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quaid
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Quaid bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Quaid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 722
- Hispanic or Latino7.8% · 66
- Two or more races3.3% · 28
- Black or African American1.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quaid
Quaid appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#28,437
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 839
+66 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Up 510 places
2020
#29,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 846
+7 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 1,267 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,947 | 773 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,437 | 839 | 0.28 | +66 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 510 places |
| 2020 | #29,704 | 846 | 0.28 | +7 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,267 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Quaid surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,437 | #29,704 | -4.5% |
| Count | 839 | 846 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.28 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quaid bearers went from 839 to 846 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,267 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,437 to #29,704.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Quaid
FAQ
Quaid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quaid?
Name Census estimates that about 970 living Americans carry the surname Quaid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 353,355 residents.
How common is Quaid?
Quaid ranks #29,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 846 people with the surname Quaid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Quaid.
Has Quaid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quaid went from 839 recorded bearers to 846. That is an increase of 7 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,437 to #29,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Quaid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaid, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quaid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (722 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quaid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (7.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Quaid (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Quaid mean?
A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "cuaite" meaning a herd. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Quaid (0.28 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Quaid?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.