2000
#3,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,945
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.69
Uncommon Last name
Quinlan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Caoindealbháin, meaning "descendant of Caoindealbhán" (a personal name meaning "handsome").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,364 Americans carry the last name Quinlan. That puts it at #3,509 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,161 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quinlan 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 Quinlan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,161
Census rank
#3,509
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,910 bearers of the surname Quinlan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3509th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quinlan
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Quinlan 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 Quinlan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 8,986
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 394
- Two or more races2.8% · 278
- Black or African American1.2% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 100
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quinlan
Quinlan 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
#3,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,302
+357 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.49
Rank movement Down 163 places
2020
#3,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,910
-392 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,306 | 9,945 | 3.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,469 | 10,302 | 3.49 | +357 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 163 places |
| 2020 | #3,509 | 9,910 | 3.32 | -392 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 40 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 Quinlan 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 | #3,469 | #3,509 | -1.2% |
| Count | 10,302 | 9,910 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.49 | 3.32 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quinlan bearers went from 10,302 to 9,910 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,469 to #3,509.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Quinlan
FAQ
Quinlan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quinlan?
Name Census estimates that about 11,364 living Americans carry the surname Quinlan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,161 residents.
How common is Quinlan?
Quinlan ranks #3,509 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,910 people with the surname Quinlan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,364), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Quinlan.
Has Quinlan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quinlan went from 10,302 recorded bearers to 9,910. That is a decrease of 392 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,469 to #3,509.
What does the Census say about the background of Quinlan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Quinlan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (8,986 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quinlan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Quinlan (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 Quinlan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Caoindealbháin, meaning "descendant of Caoindealbhán" (a personal name meaning "handsome"). 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 Quinlan (3.32 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 share the surname Quinlan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.