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

Quelch, 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 Quelch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quelch in America

Quelch is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quelch surname appeared 139 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 Quelch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quelch 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 Quelch

The surname Quelch is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in the English county of Gloucestershire during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cwellan," which means "to kill" or "to torture." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or personal characteristic.

One of the earliest known references to the name Quelch can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Quelhc" in the records for Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as "Quelche" and "Qwelche," reflecting the evolution of spelling over time. During this period, the name was also associated with several place names in Gloucestershire, such as Quelchampton and Quelchford, which may have contributed to the name's spread and popularity.

One notable bearer of the surname Quelch was Sir John Quelch (c. 1365-1425), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the county in 1402 and 1406.

In the 16th century, the name appears in records with spellings such as "Quellche" and "Qwelche." During this time, a branch of the family settled in the neighboring county of Somerset, where they became prominent landowners.

Another notable figure with the surname Quelch was Robert Quelch (1609-1662), an English Puritan minister and author who served as the vicar of Batcombe in Somerset. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.

The surname Quelch also has a notable connection to the American colonies in the 17th century. In 1704, Captain John Quelch (c. 1666-1704) was convicted of piracy and executed in Boston, Massachusetts. His exploits and trial were widely documented at the time, adding to the notoriety of the name.

Other prominent individuals with the surname Quelch include William Quelch (1786-1854), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sarah Quelch (1808-1891), a British writer and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quelch

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

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

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

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