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

Quesnell, 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 Quesnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quesnell in America

Quesnell is the 47272nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quesnell surname appeared 449 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 Quesnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quesnell 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 Quesnell

The surname Quesnell originated in Normandy, a region in northern France, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "chesnel" or "quesnel," meaning an oak grove or an area of land with many oak trees. This name was likely given to someone who lived near or owned property with a significant number of oak trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quesnell can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Quesnel" and "Chesnel," indicating that it was already in use among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

In the 12th century, a branch of the Quesnell family settled in England, where the name evolved into different spellings like "Quesnell" and "Quesnel." One notable member of this family was Sir Robert Quesnell, who was knighted in 1189 for his service during the Third Crusade under King Richard I (the Lionheart).

During the 13th century, the Quesnell name appeared in various records and manuscripts across France and England. In 1265, a Robert de Quesnel was recorded as a landowner in Normandy, while in 1297, a William Quesnell is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire, England.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the surname Quesnell was Jean Quesnell (c. 1310-1380), a French philosopher and theologian who studied and taught at the University of Paris. He was known for his works on logic and metaphysics.

During the 15th century, the Quesnell family continued to hold prominence in both France and England. In 1462, a Jacques Quesnell was recorded as a member of the French nobility in Normandy, while in 1487, a John Quesnell was listed as a landowner in Somerset, England.

Throughout history, the Quesnell surname has been associated with various places and locations, particularly those derived from the Old French word "quesnel" or its variations. Examples include Quesnoy-sur-Deûle in northern France, Quesnoy-le-Montant in Picardy, and Chesnel in Normandy, among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quesnell

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

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

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

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