Quillman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Quillman

An occupational surname referring to someone who made or sold quills for writing.

Quillman, 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 Quillman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quillman in America

Quillman is the 50960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quillman surname appeared 409 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 Quillman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quillman 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 50960 51119 -0.31%
Count 409 383 6.57%
Proportion per 100k 0.14 0.14 0.00%

The history of the last name Quillman

The surname QUILLMAN is of English origin, derived from the old English word "cwileman," which referred to a maker or seller of quill pens. This occupational surname emerged in the 13th century when such skilled artisans were in high demand as literacy levels rose among the general population.

The name is first recorded in the Norfolk Pipe Rolls of 1275, where one Adam Quilman is mentioned as a taxpayer. This early spelling variation suggests the name originated in the county of Norfolk, located in the east of England. Nearby villages like Quilters and Quill's Green may also have influenced the surname's development.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various legal documents and parish records across East Anglia. For instance, a John Quillman is listed as a witness in a land dispute in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in 1387. This indicates the gradual spread of the name beyond its Norfolk roots.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir Robert Quillman, a knight and landowner who lived in the village of Quillman's Green near Thetford, Norfolk, in the late 15th century. His descendants continued to hold estates in the area for several generations.

Another notable figure was William Quillman (1624-1688), an English clergyman and author who served as Vicar of Stratton in Cornwall. He published several theological works, including a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname was also found in parts of the West Country, particularly Somerset and Devon. For example, records show a Thomas Quillman was born in Taunton, Somerset, in 1673, while a Mary Quillman married a John Webber in Exeter, Devon, in 1712.

Other historical examples include John Quillman (1779-1855), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Edward Quillman (1841-1919), a noted architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London in the late Victorian era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quillman

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

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 Quillman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.18% 377
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.71% 7
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.44% 10
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.69% 11
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Quillman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.18% 94.52% -2.51%
Black 1.71% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 2.44% 3.39% -32.59%
Two or More Races 2.69% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Quillman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 13, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/quillman-surname-popularity/.

"Quillman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/quillman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 October, 2024

Quillman last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/quillman-surname-popularity/.

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