NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcquinn

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuinn, meaning "son of Cuinn".

In the 1881 census there were 135 people recorded with the Mcquinn surname, ranking it #16,515 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #16,515 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Batley and West Derby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Dacorum and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcquinn is 140 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.8%.

1881 census count

135

Ranked #16,515

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

1891

140 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcquinn had 135 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,515 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 140 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mcquinn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mcquinn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mcquinn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcquinn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 35 #27,037
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 135 #16,515
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 108 #21,736
1997 modern 115 #24,834
1998 modern 131 #23,495
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 128 #24,150
2003 modern 122 #24,628
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 124 #24,750
2007 modern 127 #24,748
2008 modern 133 #24,350
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 137 #24,907
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 119 #27,100
2013 modern 119 #27,541
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 117 #27,982
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Mcquinns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Batley, West Derby, Liverpool and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Dacorum, Nottingham and Knowsley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Manchester Lancashire
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 West Derby Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 011 Kirklees
2 Dacorum 012 Dacorum
3 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
4 Nottingham 019 Nottingham
5 Knowsley 015 Knowsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcquinn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mcquinn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcquinn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mcquinn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mcquinn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mcquinn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcquinn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mcquinn is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcquinn falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mcquinn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mcquinn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcquinn

The surname McQuinn has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic name "MacCuinn," meaning "son of Conn." Conn was a common Gaelic personal name, stemming from the Old Irish word "cond," meaning "reason" or "sense."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McQuinn name appears in the Annals of Ulster, which mentions a Gilla Críst Mac Cuinn in 1213. The name was particularly prominent in County Antrim, where the McQuinn clan held lands and influence.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the spelling emerged, such as McQuyne, McQuine, and McQueen. These variations were often due to the inconsistencies in transliterating Gaelic names into English.

In the 17th century, the McQuinn name is found in the Hearth Money Rolls, which recorded households for taxation purposes. Notable entries include Patrick McQuinn in County Antrim and John McQuinn in County Down.

One of the earliest known McQuinns was Aodh (Hugh) McQuinn, a 16th-century Irish poet and historian from County Antrim. He is renowned for his work "The Life of Red Hugh O'Donnell," a contemporary account of the Nine Years' War in Ireland.

Another notable figure was Conn McQuinn, a 17th-century Irish soldier and landowner from County Antrim. He fought for the Confederate Catholics during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653) and later lost his lands during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

In the 18th century, James McQuinn (1732-1803) was a prominent Irish-American merchant and landowner in Pennsylvania. He was involved in the American Revolutionary War and served as a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

In the 19th century, Thomas McQuinn (1826-1892) was an Irish-American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina.

One of the most famous McQuinns in modern times was Colleen McQuinn (1898-1982), an American actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcquinn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcquinn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 18 Mcquinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.23x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 18 6.23x
Cumberland 4 19.07x
Middlesex 2 0.82x
Cheshire 1 1.86x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 8 Mcquinns recorded in 1881 and an index of 86.86x.

Place Total Index
Everton 8 86.86x
Egremont 4 800.00x
Liverpool 4 22.78x
Toxteth Park 4 40.86x
Appleton 1 833.33x
Great Lever 1 322.58x
Isleworth 1 92.59x
St Luke London 1 25.58x
Stretford 1 62.89x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mcquinn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Elizabeth 2
Margaret 2
Mary 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Ellen 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mcquinn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 5
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Daniel 1
James 1
Pat 1
Patrick 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mcquinn households.

FAQ

Mcquinn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcquinn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 135 people were recorded with the Mcquinn surname. That placed it at #16,515 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcquinn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Mcquinn a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Mcquinn surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuinn, meaning "son of Cuinn".

What does the Mcquinn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mcquinn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.