2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Quillens
A surname derived from a French place name referring to a quill maker or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Quillens. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quillens 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.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Quillens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quillens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quillens
The surname Quillens is believed to have originated in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland. The name likely has roots in Old English and Old Norse languages, reflecting the linguistic influences of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking settlements in these regions.
One theory suggests that Quillens is derived from the Old English word "cwillen," meaning "to kill" or "to slay." This could indicate that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a soldier, warrior, or hunter. Alternatively, it may have been a descriptive nickname for someone with a fierce or aggressive personality.
Another possibility is that Quillens is a variant of the Old Norse name "Kvalin," which means "a tormented person" or "one who suffers." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who endured hardships or experienced significant struggles in their life.
The earliest recorded instances of the Quillens surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various historical records and documents from England and Scotland. Some notable examples include John Quillens, a landowner in Yorkshire, England, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1273, and William Quillens, a merchant from Edinburgh, Scotland, who is referenced in the Exchequer Rolls of 1348.
In the 16th century, there are records of the Quillens family residing in the village of Quillinghurst, located in the county of Sussex, England. This place name may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time, leading to variations like Quillinghurst and Quillenhurst.
One notable figure in history with the surname Quillens was Sir Robert Quillens (1587-1663), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Hastings during the reign of Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause.
Another prominent individual was Margaret Quillens (1692-1768), a Scottish writer and poet who gained acclaim for her collections of poetry and essays. Her works often explored themes of nature, love, and the human experience.
In the 19th century, Thomas Quillens (1823-1901) was a renowned architect from Liverpool, England, known for his innovative designs and contributions to the city's architectural landscape. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings, including the Philharmonic Hall and the Lime Street Railway Station.
The Quillens surname has also been associated with various locations and place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Quillen in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is believed to have derived its name from the Quillens family who once resided in the area.
While the exact origins and meaning of the Quillens surname may remain debated, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic traditions of the British Isles, spanning several centuries and numerous notable individuals who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quillens
Among Census respondents with the surname Quillens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Quillens 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 Quillens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.2% · 96
- White2.9% · 3
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quillens
Quillens appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 1,554 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 Quillens 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 | #152,628 | #154,182 | -1.0% |
| Count | 107 | 103 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quillens bearers went from 107 to 103 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 1,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #154,182.
FAQ
Quillens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quillens?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Quillens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Quillens?
Quillens ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Quillens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Quillens.
Has Quillens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quillens went from 107 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Quillens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quillens, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quillens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quillens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.2%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Quillens (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 Quillens mean?
A surname derived from a French place name referring to a quill maker or seller. 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 Quillens (0.03 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 are called Quillens?
If you just want to know how common the surname Quillens is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.