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

Quillan, 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 Quillan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quillan in America

Quillan is the 74141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quillan surname appeared 261 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 Quillan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quillan 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 Quillan

The surname Quillan is believed to have originated in Ireland, derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Cuilleanain" meaning "descendant of Cuilleanain." The name Cuilleanain itself is a diminutive form of the personal name "Cuillean," which means "little wolf" or "little hound."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Quillan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a figure named "Cuilleanain" who lived in the 12th century and was a member of the Ua Briain (O'Brien) dynasty, rulers of the Kingdom of Thomond in what is now County Clare.

The Quillans were prominent in County Clare, particularly in the baronies of Bunratty and Tulla. They were described as a "sept" or branch of the powerful O'Brien clan. Several ancient Irish manuscripts, such as the Book of Lecan and the Book of Leinster, contain references to the Quillan family and their lands in Clare.

One notable member of the Quillan family was Domnall Quillan (c. 1540 - c. 1620), a prominent Irish chieftain and landowner in County Clare during the Elizabethan era. He was involved in the Desmond Rebellions, a series of uprisings against English rule in Ireland during the late 16th century.

Another prominent figure was John Quillan (1788 - 1870), an Irish Catholic priest and writer who served as the President of All Hallows College in Dublin. He was a vocal advocate for Catholic rights and education in Ireland during the 19th century.

Other notable Quillans throughout history include:

• Michael Quillan (1864 - 1929), an Irish writer and journalist who worked for several newspapers in New York City.

• Mary Quillan (1889 - 1978), an Irish-American actress who appeared in several Hollywood films during the 1920s and 1930s.

• Patrick Quillan (1905 - 1986), an Irish-American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox in the 1930s.

• John Quillan (1920 - 2002), an Irish hurler who played for the Clare senior hurling team and won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1946.

While the name Quillan is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical legacy rooted in the annals of medieval Ireland and the O'Brien dynasty, with bearers of the name making their mark in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quillan

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

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

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

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