NameCensus.

UK surname

Quail

A surname derived from the English word for the small ground-dwelling bird.

In the 1881 census there were 355 people recorded with the Quail surname, ranking it #8,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 567, ranked #9,065, down from #8,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Philip and Jacob and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Petershill, Springburn East and Cowlairs and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quail is 567 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.7%.

1881 census count

355

Ranked #8,679

Modern count

567

2016, ranked #9,065

Peak year

2016

567 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quail had 355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 567 in 2016, ranked #9,065.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 400 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Quail surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quail surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quail 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 190 #10,852
1861 historical 212 #11,466
1881 historical 355 #8,679
1891 historical 400 #8,878
1901 historical 323 #11,065
1911 historical 286 #11,810
1997 modern 523 #9,003
1998 modern 540 #9,058
1999 modern 541 #9,092
2000 modern 518 #9,366
2001 modern 512 #9,288
2002 modern 538 #9,132
2003 modern 540 #8,967
2004 modern 554 #8,812
2005 modern 537 #8,951
2006 modern 521 #9,193
2007 modern 516 #9,343
2008 modern 524 #9,299
2009 modern 531 #9,417
2010 modern 546 #9,408
2011 modern 541 #9,400
2012 modern 538 #9,343
2013 modern 544 #9,420
2014 modern 554 #9,331
2015 modern 558 #9,193
2016 modern 567 #9,065

Geography

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Where Quails are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Philip and Jacob, Loughborough, Manchester and Leamington Priors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Petershill, Springburn East and Cowlairs, Rotherham, Blackhill and Barmulloch East and Barmulloch. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Leamington Priors Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Petershill Glasgow City
2 Springburn East and Cowlairs Glasgow City
3 Rotherham 024 Rotherham
4 Blackhill and Barmulloch East Glasgow City
5 Barmulloch Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quail

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quail

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Quail, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Quail surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Quail household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Quail 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

Quail 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

Quail 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 Quail is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Quail

The surname Quail is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is a toponymic name, derived from a place name associated with the quail bird. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English word 'cwail,' which referred to the quail bird.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Quaile.' This suggests that the name was already in use in England before the Norman Conquest. Over time, various spellings emerged, such as Quayle, Quail, and Quaill.

The Quail surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, where records indicate the presence of families bearing this name as early as the 13th century. Some notable early bearers of the name include John Quayle, a landowner from Buckinghamshire who is mentioned in records from 1279.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Quail family settled in the village of Quainton, Buckinghamshire, which is believed to have derived its name from the same Old English word 'cwail.' This connection between the surname and the place name further reinforces the toponymic origins of the Quail name.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname Quail, one can mention Sir Robert Quail (1590-1662), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire in the 17th century. Another prominent individual was William Quail (1784-1868), a Scottish-born Australian settler and explorer who played a significant role in the early exploration and settlement of the Swan River Colony in Western Australia.

Other notable individuals with the Quail surname include Thomas Quail (1752-1824), an English Quaker minister and author; Jeremiah Quail (1770-1853), an American politician and judge who served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives; and Sarah Quail (1811-1892), an American educator and pioneer in the field of deaf education.

Throughout its history, the Quail surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, as well as in areas where English settlers migrated, such as North America and Australia. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, its enduring legacy continues to be carried by families around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quail families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quail 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 91 Quails recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.22x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 91 2.22x
Middlesex 33 0.96x
Lanarkshire 31 2.78x
Leicestershire 31 8.10x
Cumberland 27 9.08x
Yorkshire 23 0.67x
Nottinghamshire 18 3.87x
Warwickshire 17 1.95x
Cheshire 13 1.71x
Gloucestershire 13 1.92x
Ayrshire 12 4.64x
Renfrewshire 11 4.11x
Angus 8 2.50x
Stirlingshire 5 3.93x
Norfolk 4 0.75x
Dunbartonshire 3 3.23x
Devon 2 0.28x
Dorset 2 0.88x
East Lothian 2 4.37x
Hampshire 2 0.28x
Argyllshire 1 1.04x
Essex 1 0.15x
Kent 1 0.08x
Midlothian 1 0.22x
Surrey 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Loughborough in Leicestershire leads with 23 Quails recorded in 1881 and an index of 132.41x.

Place Total Index
Loughborough 23 132.41x
Glasgow 16 8.07x
Dalton In Furness 14 88.50x
Manchester 13 7.05x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 11 17.25x
Kimberworth 11 57.93x
West Derby 11 9.18x
Barony 10 3.54x
Nottingham St Mary 10 8.31x
Birkenhead 9 14.81x
Pennington In Ulverston 9 441.18x
Abbey 8 19.59x
Brinsworth 8 503.14x
Liff Benvie 8 16.47x
St Marylebone London 8 4.34x
Leicester St Margaret 7 7.50x
Preston Quarter 7 84.03x
Everton 6 4.59x
Leamington 6 103.99x
Mile End Old Town 6 11.01x
Poplar London 6 9.21x
Urswick 6 394.74x
Workington 6 35.25x
Girvan 5 77.04x
Govan 5 1.81x
Greasley 5 47.62x
Leamington Priors 5 23.33x
Ulverston 5 41.91x
Aspatria 4 139.86x
Aston 4 1.67x
Falkirk 4 13.42x
Flimby 4 159.36x
Great Yarmouth 4 9.10x
Hoose 4 279.72x
Liverpool 4 1.61x
Spotland 4 8.78x
Wigan 4 6.99x
Bethnal Green London 3 2.00x
Islington London 3 0.90x
Kilmarnock 3 9.75x
Kirkintilloch 3 23.79x
Millom 3 32.93x
Oldham 3 2.27x
Paisley High Church 3 14.08x
Sutton In Ashfield 3 29.70x
Bradford 2 2.41x
Bristol St John Baptist 2 317.46x
Dundonald 2 20.99x
Hackney London 2 1.03x
Hayes 2 56.82x
Morley 2 11.24x
Northwood 2 19.84x
Offchurch 2 526.32x
Pencaitland 2 153.85x
Poole St James 2 23.47x
Stoke Damerel 2 3.98x
Aldingham 1 72.99x
Ayr 1 8.20x
Barrow In Furness 1 1.79x
Blackburn 1 0.92x
Burnley 1 2.90x
Camerton 1 238.10x
Colmonell 1 38.46x
Denny 1 14.77x
Dunoon Kilmun 1 13.33x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 16.37x
Heaton Norris 1 4.29x
Hensingham 1 41.15x
Hove 1 3.91x
Kensington London 1 0.52x
Kirkby Ireleth 1 49.02x
Leicester St Mary 1 3.23x
Lewisham 1 1.59x
Little Bolton 1 1.90x
North Meols 1 2.49x
Reigate Foreign 1 5.49x
St Pancras London 1 0.36x
Toxteth Park 1 0.72x
Underskiddaw 1 158.73x
Walton On Hill 1 4.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 10
Margaret 8
Annie 6
Elizabeth 6
Catherine 5
Eliza 5
Ann 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Martha 4
Caroline 3
Harriett 3
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Margt. 3
Alice 2
Anne 2
Arabella 2
Emma 2
Esther 2
Harriet 2
Lilian 2
Rebecca 2
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Baby 1
Betsey 1
Catharine 1
Cecilia 1
Claria 1
Edith 1
Eilen 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hanner 1
Hariet 1
J. 1
Juliana 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Margarete 1
Margarett 1
Marie 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 21
William 17
James 11
George 10
Thomas 10
Robert 6
Edward 5
Henry 4
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Hugh 3
Joseph 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Edwin 2
Isaac 2
Jesse 2
Patrick 2
Abraham 1
Arthur 1
Ceasar 1
Charles 1
Clarendon 1
David 1
Edwarh 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Jas. 1
Jessie 1
Mark 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Robt.F. 1
Solomon 1
Theophilus 1
Walter 1
Wellingn. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Quail surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quail surname in 1881?

In 1881, 355 people were recorded with the Quail surname. That placed it at #8,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quail surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 567 in 2016. That gives Quail a modern rank of #9,065.

What does the Quail surname mean?

A surname derived from the English word for the small ground-dwelling bird.

What does the Quail map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Quail 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.