2000
#1,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,095
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.93
Uncommon Last name
Quick
An English occupational surname for a messenger or courier, derived from the Old English word "cwic," meaning alive or fast.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,500 Americans carry the last name Quick. That puts it at #1,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quick 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 Quick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,464
Census rank
#1,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,981 bearers of the surname Quick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quick, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quick
The surname Quick originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cwic," meaning "alive" or "living." This word was later used to describe someone who was lively, nimble, or quick in their movements.
One of the earliest known references to the Quick surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Quic." This indicates that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Quic, Quik, and Quyk, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The modern spelling of "Quick" became more standardized by the 16th century.
One notable bearer of the Quick surname was John Quick (c. 1636-1706), an English clergyman and theologian. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and was known for his writings on religious controversies of the time.
Another historically significant individual was Robert Quick (c. 1618-1657), an English parliamentarian and soldier who fought for the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He was killed in battle during the siege of Dunkirk.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure was John Quick (1748-1831), an English engraver and artist known for his works depicting landscapes and architectural scenes.
The Quick surname can also be traced to the village of Quick in Somerset, England, which may have contributed to the development of the surname in that region.
In the United States, one notable bearer of the Quick surname was William F. Quick (1869-1944), a Republican politician who served as the Governor of Hawaii from 1913 to 1918.
Throughout history, the Quick surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, soldiers, artists, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quick
Among Census respondents with the surname Quick, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Quick 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 Quick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 18,844
- Black or African American12.5% · 2,996
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,027
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 756
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 145
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quick
Quick 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
#1,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,091
+996 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 8.51
Rank movement Down 69 places
2020
#1,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,981
-1,110 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 8.02
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,347 | 24,095 | 8.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,416 | 25,091 | 8.51 | +996 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 69 places |
| 2020 | #1,449 | 23,981 | 8.02 | -1,110 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 33 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 Quick 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 | #1,416 | #1,449 | -2.3% |
| Count | 25,091 | 23,981 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 8.51 | 8.02 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quick bearers went from 25,091 to 23,981 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,416 to #1,449.
FAQ
Quick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quick?
Name Census estimates that about 27,500 living Americans carry the surname Quick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,464 residents.
How common is Quick?
Quick ranks #1,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,981 people with the surname Quick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Quick.
Has Quick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quick went from 25,091 recorded bearers to 23,981. That is a decrease of 1,110 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,416 to #1,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Quick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quick, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Quick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (18,844 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Black (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Quick (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 Quick mean?
An English occupational surname for a messenger or courier, derived from the Old English word "cwic," meaning alive or fast. 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 Quick (8.02 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 Quick?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Quick on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.