Quinlisk last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Quinlisk

An anglicized Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Caoinlish, meaning son of the descendant of the polished one.

Quinlisk, 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 Quinlisk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quinlisk in America

Quinlisk is the 81458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quinlisk surname appeared 232 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 Quinlisk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quinlisk 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 81458 87729 -7.41%
Count 232 197 16.32%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.07 13.33%

The history of the last name Quinlisk

The surname Quinlisk originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the 16th century or earlier. It is believed to be derived from the Old Irish words "cuinne," meaning "corner" or "angle," and "liosc," meaning "burnt land" or "burnt ground." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a corner or angle of burnt land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quinlisk 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 Quinlisk family residing in County Mayo, Ireland, during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various land records and legal documents from counties Mayo and Sligo in the west of Ireland. These records often spell the name as "Quinlisk" or variations like "Quinliskey" or "Quinlisky."

One notable individual bearing the Quinlisk surname was Patrick Quinlisk (1692-1768), a Catholic priest and educator from County Mayo. He founded a prestigious hedge school, which provided education to Irish Catholics during a time when such opportunities were severely limited due to the Penal Laws.

Another historical figure was John Quinlisk (1786-1857), a landowner and businessman from County Sligo. He played a significant role in the development of the town of Ballymote, establishing several businesses and contributing to the local economy.

In the 19th century, the surname Quinlisk can be found in various records from counties Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim, indicating that the name was concentrated in the northwest region of Ireland.

One individual of note from this period was Michael Quinlisk (1819-1892), a prominent figure in the Irish nationalist movement. He was an ardent supporter of Irish independence and played an active role in campaigns for land reform and tenant rights.

The Quinlisk surname also found its way to other parts of the world through Irish emigration. One example is Thomas Quinlisk (1845-1918), who emigrated from Ireland to the United States in the late 19th century and settled in Chicago, where he became a successful businessman.

Throughout its history, the Quinlisk surname has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, particularly in the northwestern counties of Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling over time, its origins as a descriptive term for a person living near burnt land have remained a significant part of its heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quinlisk

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

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 Quinlisk was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.83% 220
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 3.45% 8

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.83% 97.46% -2.74%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.45% (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 Quinlisk was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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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!

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

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

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

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