2000
#18,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Quin
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cuinn referring to a descendant of Conn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,581 Americans carry the last name Quin. That puts it at #19,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 216,796 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Quin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 216,796
Census rank
#19,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,379 bearers of the surname Quin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quin, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Hispanic (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quin
The surname Quin has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "cuinn," meaning "wisdom" or "counsel." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname for a wise or knowledgeable person.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Quin surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a notable figure named Muircheartach Quin, who was a prominent chieftain in the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Quin family was well-established in County Clare, Ireland. The family held lands in the area and played a significant role in local politics and affairs. One notable member of the Quin family during this period was Sir Edward Quin (1558-1628), who served as the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
The Quin surname also has connections to various place names in Ireland. For instance, the town of Quinville in County Clare is believed to have derived its name from the Quin family. Additionally, there are several townlands and parishes with names that incorporate the word "Quin," such as Quinpool and Quinworth.
Among the notable individuals with the Quin surname throughout history are:
1. Walter Quin (1575-1634), an Irish soldier and adventurer who served in the Spanish Army of Flanders and wrote a memoir of his experiences.
2. Windham Quin (1717-1805), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
3. Michael Quin (1796-1843), an Irish poet and translator who is known for his translations of ancient Greek and Latin works.
4. Edwin Richard Windham Quin (1808-1880), an English theologian and writer who served as the Vicar of Heston and published several religious works.
5. James Quin (1693-1766), an Irish actor who was one of the most famous and influential figures in the 18th-century English theater.
The Quin surname has a rich history that spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in Irish culture and tradition. While its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, the name has left an indelible mark on various aspects of society, from politics and literature to the arts and judiciary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quin
Among Census respondents with the surname Quin, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Hispanic (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Quin 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 Quin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.5% · 931
- Black or African American14.2% · 196
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.4% · 74
- Two or more races2.5% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quin
Quin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#18,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,462
+87 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Down 237 places
2020
#19,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,379
-83 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 824 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,520 | 1,375 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,757 | 1,462 | 0.50 | +87 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 237 places |
| 2020 | #19,581 | 1,379 | 0.46 | -83 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 824 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 Quin 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 | #18,757 | #19,581 | -4.4% |
| Count | 1,462 | 1,379 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.46 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quin bearers went from 1,462 to 1,379 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 824 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,757 to #19,581.
FAQ
Quin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,581 living Americans carry the surname Quin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 216,796 residents.
How common is Quin?
Quin ranks #19,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 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 1,379 people with the surname Quin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,581), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 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 Quin.
Has Quin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quin went from 1,462 recorded bearers to 1,379. That is a decrease of 83 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,757 to #19,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Quin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quin, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Hispanic (9.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.5% (931 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.5%), Black (14.2%), Hispanic (9.9%). 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 Quin (2000, 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 Quin mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cuinn referring to a descendant of Conn. 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 Quin (0.46 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 have the last name Quin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Quin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.