2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Quinsey
An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Quincy, Normandy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Quinsey. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quinsey 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Quinsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quinsey
The surname Quinsey is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cwin" or "quyn," meaning "queen," and "ey," meaning "island." This suggests that the name may have been associated with a place or location related to a queen or royal figure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Quinsey can be found in the Huntingdonshire Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Quinsye." This document contains records of landholders and tenants in the county of Huntingdonshire during that time period.
The surname Quinsey is also mentioned in the Feet of Fines records for Oxfordshire in 1390, which were legal documents used to transfer land ownership. In this record, the name is spelled "Quynsey."
During the 16th century, the name Quinsey appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1524, where it was recorded as "Quynceye." These rolls were tax records that listed individuals liable for paying subsidies or taxes to the Crown.
One notable individual with the surname Quinsey was Sir William Quinsey, who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was a member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1402 and served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 1405.
Another individual of note was John Quinsey, who was born in 1590 in Buckinghamshire, England. He was a scholar and theologian who attended Oxford University and later became the Rector of Merton College in 1638.
In the 17th century, there was a Robert Quinsey, born in 1625 in Gloucestershire, who was a prominent merchant and landowner. He owned several properties in the city of Bristol and was involved in the trade of various goods, including tobacco and wine.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Samuel Quinsey, who was born in 1712 in Worcestershire. He was a successful lawyer and served as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1748.
Lastly, in the 19th century, there was Thomas Quinsey, born in 1824 in Oxfordshire. He was an influential farmer and landowner who played a significant role in the development of agricultural practices in the region.
While the surname Quinsey may have originated from a specific location or association with royalty, it has since spread across various regions of England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quinsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Quinsey 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 Quinsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.6% · 75
- Black or African American27.0% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quinsey
Quinsey appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,787 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 Quinsey 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 | #150,452 | #148,665 | 1.2% |
| Count | 109 | 111 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quinsey bearers went from 109 to 111 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #148,665.
FAQ
Quinsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quinsey?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Quinsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Quinsey?
Quinsey ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Quinsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Quinsey.
Has Quinsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quinsey went from 109 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Quinsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quinsey, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.6%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Quinsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.6% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quinsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.6%), Black (27.0%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Quinsey (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 Quinsey mean?
An English surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Quincy, Normandy. 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 Quinsey (0.04 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 surname Quinsey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.