2000
#23,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,024
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Quaintance
An archaic variant spelling of the word "acquaintance" referring to familiarity or knowledge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,175 Americans carry the last name Quaintance. That puts it at #25,283 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 291,706 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quaintance 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 Quaintance with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 291,706
Census rank
#25,283
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,025 bearers of the surname Quaintance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25283rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaintance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quaintance
The surname Quaintance is of English origin, deriving from the Old French word "acointance" meaning "acquaintance" or "familiarity". It is believed to have emerged during the late 12th century, initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who was well-acquainted or familiar with a particular person, place, or trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, dated 1296, where a certain John Quaintance is mentioned. This entry suggests that the surname had already established itself by the late 13th century in the southern English counties.
In the 14th century, variations of the spelling appeared, such as "Queyntance" and "Quayntance", as documented in various medieval records and tax rolls. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in spelling conventions during that period.
A notable early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Quaintance, a prominent merchant and alderman of the City of London in the late 15th century. He was recorded as serving as the Sheriff of London in 1484 and played an influential role in the city's trade and governance.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Quaintance spread across various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Surrey. One notable figure from this era was William Quaintance, a respected physician and author who lived in the late 16th century and wrote several medical treatises.
In the 18th century, the surname Quaintance continued to be found in various regions of England, with several individuals bearing the name being recorded in parish registers and local records. One notable bearer was John Quaintance, a successful merchant and landowner from Kent, who lived in the early 18th century.
As the surname spread across different regions, its spelling variations also evolved, with forms like "Quantance" and "Quintance" appearing in some records. However, the more common spelling of "Quaintance" remained predominant.
Throughout its history, the surname Quaintance has been associated with various occupations and professions, from merchants and tradesmen to physicians and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and social standings of those who bore the name.
While the surname Quaintance is relatively uncommon today, its rich history and etymology provide insights into the linguistic and cultural influences that shaped English surnames over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quaintance
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaintance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Quaintance 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 Quaintance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 852
- Black or African American10.0% · 103
- Two or more races3.1% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quaintance
Quaintance 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
#24,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,041
+17 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Down 922 places
2020
#25,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,025
-16 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Down 1,124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,237 | 1,024 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,159 | 1,041 | 0.35 | +17 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 922 places |
| 2020 | #25,283 | 1,025 | 0.34 | -16 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 1,124 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 Quaintance 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 | #24,159 | #25,283 | -4.7% |
| Count | 1,041 | 1,025 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.35 | 0.34 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quaintance bearers went from 1,041 to 1,025 (-1.5% change). The surname moved down 1,124 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,159 to #25,283.
FAQ
Quaintance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quaintance?
Name Census estimates that about 1,175 living Americans carry the surname Quaintance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 291,706 residents.
How common is Quaintance?
Quaintance ranks #25,283 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,025 people with the surname Quaintance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Quaintance.
Has Quaintance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quaintance went from 1,041 recorded bearers to 1,025. That is a decrease of 16 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,159 to #25,283.
What does the Census say about the background of Quaintance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quaintance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Quaintance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (852 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quaintance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Black (10.0%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Quaintance (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 Quaintance mean?
An archaic variant spelling of the word "acquaintance" referring to familiarity or knowledge. 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 Quaintance (0.34 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 people are called Quaintance?
If you just want to know how common the surname Quaintance is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.