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

Qual, 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 Qual surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Qual in America

Qual is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Qual surname appeared 111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Qual.

We can also compare 2010 data for Qual 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 Qual

The surname "Qual" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "cwalu" meaning "death" or "pestilence." This name was likely first borne by someone who had survived a severe plague or epidemic in their community.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England compiled by order of William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with the surname "Quale" or similar spellings, such as "Qualle" and "Quayle." These early recordings suggest that the name was already established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Robert Qual, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. Another notable figure was John Quayle (1598-1663), an English Puritan clergyman who served as a chaplain in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War.

In the 16th century, the surname appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, with several references to individuals named Qual or Quayle in parish records and local histories from that era. One example is Thomas Quayle (1522-1589), a landowner and prominent citizen of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

The name also gained a foothold in Scotland, where it was sometimes rendered as "Quhill" or "Quhile." One notable Scottish bearer was Sir James Quhile (1610-1678), a lawyer and judge who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1663 to 1665.

In later centuries, the surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with bearers of note including the Irish poet and playwright Thomas Qual (1736-1805), and the Australian explorer and surveyor William Quayle (1801-1876), who helped map large areas of the Australian outback in the early 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Qual

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

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

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

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