2000
#3,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,264
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.43
Uncommon Last name
Quarles
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "quarrel," meaning a square-headed crossbow bolt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,788 Americans carry the last name Quarles. That puts it at #3,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,772 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quarles 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.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,772
Census rank
#3,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.4K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,408 bearers of the surname Quarles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (41.3%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quarles
The surname Quarles originated in England, with its earliest recorded spelling being Quarles or Quarreles in the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "quarreau," meaning a square or bolt used in crossbows, indicating that the name may have been an occupational name for a maker or seller of crossbow bolts or quarrels.
The name Quarles can be traced back to various parts of England, particularly in counties like Derbyshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1195, which mentions a William Quarreles.
In the 14th century, the Quarles surname appears in several historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a Richard Quarles is listed. Another notable mention is in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which references a Johannes Quarles.
One of the earliest known and most famous bearers of the Quarles surname was Francis Quarles, an English poet and writer born in 1592. He is best known for his literary work "Emblems," published in 1635, which was a collection of moral and religious poems accompanied by illustrations.
Another prominent figure was Ralph Quarles, born in 1608, who was a Puritan clergyman and author. He served as the minister of the Church of St. Vedast in London and wrote several religious works, including "Divine Fancies" and "Solomon's Recantation."
In the 17th century, the Quarles name was also associated with a place called Quarles Park in Essex, which was likely named after a family that owned or resided in the area.
Other notable individuals bearing the Quarles surname include John Quarles (1624-1665), an English poet and playwright, and John Quarles (1677-1763), a colonial American landowner and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
The Quarles name has continued to be present throughout history, with various spellings and variations, such as Quarrells, Quarrills, and Quarrills, appearing in different regions of England and later in other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quarles
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (41.3%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Quarles 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 Quarles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American48.3% · 4,547
- White41.3% · 3,884
- Two or more races6.0% · 562
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 328
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 55
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quarles
Quarles 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
#3,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,780
+516 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 108 places
2020
#3,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,408
-372 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.15
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,523 | 9,264 | 3.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,631 | 9,780 | 3.32 | +516 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 108 places |
| 2020 | #3,676 | 9,408 | 3.15 | -372 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 45 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 Quarles 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 | #3,631 | #3,676 | -1.2% |
| Count | 9,780 | 9,408 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.32 | 3.15 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quarles bearers went from 9,780 to 9,408 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,631 to #3,676.
FAQ
Quarles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quarles?
Name Census estimates that about 10,788 living Americans carry the surname Quarles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,772 residents.
How common is Quarles?
Quarles ranks #3,676 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,408 people with the surname Quarles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Quarles.
Has Quarles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quarles went from 9,780 recorded bearers to 9,408. That is a decrease of 372 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,631 to #3,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Quarles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarles, the largest self-reported group is Black at 48.3%. The next largest groups are White (41.3%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quarles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.3% (4,547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quarles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (48.3%), White (41.3%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Quarles (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 Quarles mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "quarrel," meaning a square-headed crossbow bolt. 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 Quarles (3.15 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 common is the surname Quarles?
Find out how many people have the surname Quarles on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.