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

Quilty, 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 Quilty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quilty in America

Quilty is the 33164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quilty surname appeared 690 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 Quilty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quilty 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 Quilty

The surname Quilty is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in the 12th and 13th centuries. It is believed to have originated in County Leitrim, Ireland, where it was initially derived from the Gaelic words "cill" meaning "church" and "tuath" meaning "territory" or "people." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a particular church or religious community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quilty can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a person named "Muiredach Ua Cellaig" is mentioned in the year 1169. This individual's surname, "Ua Cellaig," is believed to be an earlier form of the modern Quilty name.

In the 16th century, the name Quilty appeared in various records and documents, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were letters patent issued by the English monarchs during their reign over Ireland. One notable individual from this period was John Quilty, a landowner from County Leitrim mentioned in the Fiants in the year 1588.

The Quilty surname can also be traced back to the Gaelic-Irish clan system, where it was associated with the Ó Ceallaigh sept (family) of County Leitrim. This clan was known for their involvement in local politics and conflicts during the medieval and early modern periods.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Quilty surname. One such person was Patrick Quilty (1809-1890), an Irish Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States from 1854 to 1890. Another notable figure was Michael Quilty (1769-1831), an Irish scholar and writer who published works on Irish grammar and literature.

In the realm of literature, the Quilty surname is associated with the Irish poet and playwright Thomas Quilty (1894-1962), who was born in County Sligo and gained recognition for his works exploring Irish culture and identity. Additionally, John Quilty (1907-1998), an Irish-American author and journalist, is known for his writings on Irish history and politics.

The Quilty name has also been present in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. For instance, John Quilty (1883-1969) was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1929 to 1940, representing the Labor Party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quilty

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

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

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

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