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

Quilliam, 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 Quilliam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quilliam in America

Quilliam is the 79598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quilliam surname appeared 239 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 Quilliam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quilliam 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 Quilliam

The surname Quilliam originates from the Isle of Man, a small island located between Great Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Manx language, a Gaelic dialect once spoken on the island. The name is thought to come from the Manx word "cuilliagh," meaning "willow tree" or "willow grove."

Historically, the Quilliam family can be traced back to the late 16th century on the Isle of Man. One of the earliest records is found in the Manx Book of Families, which mentions a John Quilliam born around 1580. This suggests that the name was well-established on the island by that time.

In the 17th century, the Quilliam family gained prominence in the Manx community. Thomas Quilliam (1624-1692) was a respected landowner and served as a member of the House of Keys, the island's governing body. His son, John Quilliam (1658-1736), was a successful merchant and owned several properties in the capital, Castletown.

The name Quilliam also appears in some historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as parish records and land registries. One notable individual was Robert Quilliam (1745-1824), a prominent politician who served as Speaker of the House of Keys and played a key role in the island's transition to a more democratic system of government.

In the 19th century, the Quilliam family began to spread beyond the Isle of Man due to economic and social factors. James Quilliam (1818-1892), for instance, was a successful businessman who emigrated to Australia and established a successful trading company in Melbourne.

Another prominent figure was William Quilliam (1856-1932), a lawyer and religious scholar from Liverpool who converted to Islam and became a prominent advocate for the faith in Britain. He established the Liverpool Muslim Institute and played a significant role in introducing Islam to the British public.

Throughout history, the surname Quilliam has been associated with various professions and achievements, from landowners and politicians to merchants and religious leaders. While the name originated on the Isle of Man, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carrying with it the rich heritage and history of the Manx people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quilliam

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

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

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

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