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

Quire, 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 Quire surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Quire in America

Quire is the 42455th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Quire surname appeared 511 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 Quire.

We can also compare 2010 data for Quire 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 Quire

The surname Quire has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "quire," which means a choir or a chorus. This could suggest that the name was initially associated with someone who worked as a choir member or had some connection to the church.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Quire." This historical record was a survey of landholdings compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name was also recorded in various forms, such as "le Quire" and "atte Quire," which may indicate that the name was initially used as a descriptive term for someone associated with a choir or a similar occupation.

One notable bearer of the name was John Quire, a merchant who lived in London during the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in trade with the Netherlands and was a respected member of the city's mercantile community.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of England, with records showing instances of the name in counties such as Somerset and Gloucestershire. During this time, the spelling variations included "Quyer" and "Quir."

A prominent figure with the surname Quire was William Quire, a scholar and writer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his works on theology and philosophy, including a treatise on the nature of the soul published in 1612.

Another notable individual was Thomas Quire, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1625. He served as a military officer during the English Civil War and fought for the Parliamentarian forces. Records indicate that he was present at several significant battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the name Quire can be found in various parish records across England, suggesting its continued presence in various communities. One individual of note was Samuel Quire, a prominent landowner and farmer who lived in Oxfordshire from 1710 to 1782.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Quire continued to be represented across England, with some bearers of the name migrating to other parts of the world, particularly to North America and Australia, during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Quire

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

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

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

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