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

Quinlan, 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 Quinlan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quinlan in America

Quinlan is the 3469th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quinlan surname appeared 10,302 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Quinlan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quinlan 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 Quinlan

The surname Quinlan is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Caolán," which means "slender" or "thin." The name was initially found in County Laois and the surrounding regions of Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quinlan can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Quinlan O'Fionnain, who was a prominent chieftain in County Laois during the 13th century.

In the 16th century, the Quinlan family established themselves as landowners in County Clare, particularly in the area around Ennis. A notable member of the family during this time was Donough Quinlan, who served as the Mayor of Ennis in the late 1500s.

As the name spread across Ireland, various spelling variations emerged, including Quinlan, Quinlin, Quinnland, and Quinlivan. These variations reflect the linguistic evolution of the name and the regional dialects in which it was used.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America can be found in the 17th century, when several individuals with the surname Quinlan were documented as settlers in the colonies of Maryland and Virginia.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures with the surname Quinlan. One prominent example is John Quinlan (1859-1920), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1899 to 1900.

Another notable figure was Michael Joseph Quinlan (1885-1965), an Irish-born Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Gatton in Queensland, Australia, from 1934 to 1965.

In the field of literature, Maurice Quinlan (1892-1975) was an Irish writer and journalist known for his works on Irish history and culture.

In the realm of sports, John Quinlan (1912-1983) was an Irish hurler who played for the Kilkenny senior team and won three All-Ireland medals during his career.

More recently, Kathleen Quinlan (born 1954) is an American actress known for her roles in films such as "American Graffiti" and "Apollo 13."

While the surname Quinlan has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quinlan

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

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

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

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