2000
#31,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 686
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Quest
A surname derived from the Old French word "queste," meaning a search, pursuit, or inquiry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 857 Americans carry the last name Quest. That puts it at #32,900 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 399,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quest 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 Quest with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
857
1 in 399,947
Census rank
#32,900
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
747
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 747 bearers of the surname Quest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32900th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quest
The surname Quest is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cyst" or "cest," meaning choice or outstanding merit. The name likely referred to someone who was highly regarded or esteemed in their community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Quest can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record from 1273. The name appears as "Queste" in this document, which suggests that the spelling has evolved over time.
In the 14th century, the surname Quest was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. Records from this period show variations in spelling, including "Queste," "Quest," and "Quist."
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not directly mention the surname Quest. However, it does reference several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as "Questen" in Wiltshire and "Quistede" in Essex.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Quest was John Quest, a prominent merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir William Quest, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Quest continued to be found across various parts of England. Notable individuals from this period include:
1. Richard Quest (c. 1550-1634), a wealthy landowner and magistrate from Hertfordshire.
2. Elizabeth Quest (c. 1590-1669), a Puritan writer and religious activist from Berkshire.
3. Thomas Quest (1609-1676), a member of the English Parliament and supporter of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Quest surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. Some notable bearers of the name include:
1. Benjamin Quest (1730-1809), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia.
2. James Quest (1795-1879), a Scottish politician and advocate for social reform.
3. Emily Quest (1840-1918), an English novelist and playwright known for her works on the suffragette movement.
While the surname Quest has roots in medieval England, it has since become a surname found in many parts of the world, carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quest
Among Census respondents with the surname Quest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Quest 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 Quest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.2% · 547
- Black or African American17.7% · 132
- Two or more races5.0% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quest
Quest 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
#35,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 632
-54 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 3,765 places
2020
#32,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 747
+115 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 2,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,817 | 686 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,582 | 632 | 0.21 | -54 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 3,765 places |
| 2020 | #32,900 | 747 | 0.25 | +115 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 2,682 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 Quest 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 | #35,582 | #32,900 | 7.5% |
| Count | 632 | 747 | 18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.25 | 19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quest bearers went from 632 to 747 (+18.2% change). The surname moved up 2,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,582 to #32,900.
FAQ
Quest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quest?
Name Census estimates that about 857 living Americans carry the surname Quest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 399,947 residents.
How common is Quest?
Quest ranks #32,900 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 747 people with the surname Quest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (857), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Quest.
Has Quest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quest went from 632 recorded bearers to 747. That is an increase of 115 (+18.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,582 to #32,900.
What does the Census say about the background of Quest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.2% (547 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.2%), Black (17.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Quest (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 Quest mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "queste," meaning a search, pursuit, or inquiry. 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 Quest (0.25 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 have the surname Quest?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.