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

Quillen, 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 Quillen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quillen in America

Quillen is the 5783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quillen surname appeared 5,989 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Quillen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quillen 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 Quillen

The surname Quillen is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old English word "cwillen," which means "to kill" or "to slay." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a profession or occupation that involved hunting or warfare.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quillen can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners in England. The entry mentions a certain "Willelmus Quillen" living in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a "Robert Quillen" residing in Worcestershire.

During the medieval period, the spelling of the name varied considerably, with variants such as Quillin, Quilliam, and Quillian appearing in various records. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Norman French language, which was widely used in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

In the 16th century, the name Quillen appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this era was John Quillen, a cloth merchant who lived in the city of Worcester in the late 1500s.

Moving into the 17th and 18th centuries, the Quillen surname can be found in parish records and other historical documents across various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire. A prominent individual bearing this name was William Quillen, a landowner and member of the gentry class who lived in Nottinghamshire during the late 1600s.

In the 19th century, the Quillen surname gained some prominence in the literary world with the birth of James Quillen (1851-1924), an acclaimed English poet and essayist. Another notable figure was Sir Edward Quillen (1829-1897), a British politician and member of parliament.

As the name spread beyond England, it also took root in other parts of the British Isles, such as Scotland and Ireland. One example is Robert Quillen (1887-1948), an American writer and newspaper columnist of Scottish descent, known for his witty observations on daily life.

Throughout its history, the Quillen surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, writers, and political figures. While the origins of the name remain shrouded in the mists of time, its enduring presence across centuries and cultures attests to its rich and varied heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quillen

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

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

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

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