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

Quillian, 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 Quillian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quillian in America

Quillian is the 53913th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quillian surname appeared 383 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 Quillian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quillian 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 Quillian

The surname Quillian is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the county of Cornwall, where it was likely derived from the Old Cornish word "quillan," meaning "hazel tree."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quillian can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Cornwall from the 14th century, where a John Quillan is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

It is possible that the name Quillian may have been associated with a place name or geographic feature that involved hazel trees, as was common with many English surnames derived from natural elements. However, no definitive records of such a place name have been found.

In the 16th century, the name Quillian appeared in various parish records across Cornwall, including the baptism of Margery Quillian in the parish of St. Ervan in 1579. This indicates that the name had spread and become more widespread in the region.

One notable individual bearing the Quillian surname was John Quillian, a Cornish poet and writer who lived in the late 17th century. He is best known for his work "The Cornish Hugg Wrestler," which detailed the traditional Cornish sport of wrestling.

Another individual of note was Sir James Quillian (1795-1868), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent figure in the Royal Navy. He was awarded several honors and distinctions for his service.

Moving into the 19th century, the surname Quillian continued to be found in Cornwall, as well as in other parts of England where Cornish families had migrated. One example is Thomas Quillian (1818-1892), a Methodist minister who served in various parishes throughout Yorkshire.

In more recent times, the name Quillian has also gained recognition through individuals such as Raven Quillian (1886-1944), an American blues singer and guitarist who was influential in the development of the Delta blues genre.

While the surname Quillian may have its origins in the hazel tree connection, it has evolved and spread throughout England and beyond, with various individuals bearing the name leaving their mark in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quillian

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

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

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

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