2000
#26,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 883
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Quinlivan
An Irish surname derived from Ó Cuinlighín meaning descendant of the shapely or comely one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,061 Americans carry the last name Quinlivan. That puts it at #27,591 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 323,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quinlivan 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 Quinlivan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 323,048
Census rank
#27,591
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
925
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 925 bearers of the surname Quinlivan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27591st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quinlivan
The surname Quinlivan is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name Cuindlídhan, which means "descendant of the brown one." This name originated in County Clare, Ireland, during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name appears in entries dating back to the 13th century, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.
In the 16th century, the name was spelled in various ways, such as O'Quinlevan, O'Quinlivan, and O'Quinnilevan, reflecting the variations in the pronunciation and spelling of Irish names at that time.
One notable figure from history bearing this surname was Dermot Quinlivan, a Irish soldier who fought in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 17th century. He was a prominent commander in the Siege of Limerick in 1651.
Another significant individual was Patrick Quinlivan (1797-1878), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, in the mid-19th century. He played a crucial role in the city's development during his tenure.
In the late 18th century, the name appeared in the Aran Islands, off the coast of County Galway, where a branch of the Quinlivan family settled. One notable member of this branch was John Quinlivan (1810-1890), a renowned Irish storyteller and seanchaí (traditional bearer of oral history and lore).
The name Quinlivan is also associated with the historic town of Ennis in County Clare. The Quinlivan family held a prominent position in the town's history, with several members serving as local officials and landowners.
Another notable figure was Father Michael Quinlivan (1845-1922), a Catholic priest from County Clare who played a significant role in the Irish Land War of the late 19th century, advocating for tenant farmers' rights and land reform.
Over the centuries, the Quinlivan name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, tradesmen, soldiers, and clergy, contributing to the rich tapestry of Irish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quinlivan
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Quinlivan 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 Quinlivan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 866
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 23
- Two or more races2.4% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quinlivan
Quinlivan 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
#25,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 951
+68 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 213 places
2020
#27,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 925
-26 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 1,726 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,078 | 883 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,865 | 951 | 0.32 | +68 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 213 places |
| 2020 | #27,591 | 925 | 0.31 | -26 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 1,726 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 Quinlivan 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 | #25,865 | #27,591 | -6.7% |
| Count | 951 | 925 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.31 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quinlivan bearers went from 951 to 925 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 1,726 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,865 to #27,591.
FAQ
Quinlivan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quinlivan?
Name Census estimates that about 1,061 living Americans carry the surname Quinlivan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 323,048 residents.
How common is Quinlivan?
Quinlivan ranks #27,591 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 925 people with the surname Quinlivan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,061), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Quinlivan.
Has Quinlivan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quinlivan went from 951 recorded bearers to 925. That is a decrease of 26 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,865 to #27,591.
What does the Census say about the background of Quinlivan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinlivan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Quinlivan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (866 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quinlivan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Quinlivan (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 Quinlivan mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Cuinlighín meaning descendant of the shapely or comely one. 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 Quinlivan (0.31 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 are called Quinlivan?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Quinlivan, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.