NameCensus.

UK surname

Quigley

Of Irish origin, derived from Ó Coigligh, meaning "descendant of Coigleach" (an old Irish first name of uncertain meaning).

In the 1881 census there were 1,532 people recorded with the Quigley surname, ranking it #2,740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,769, ranked #1,424, up from #2,740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Manchester and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyndford, Burnley and St. Helens.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quigley is 4,833 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 211.3%.

1881 census count

1,532

Ranked #2,740

Modern count

4,769

2016, ranked #1,424

Peak year

2014

4,833 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quigley had 1,532 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,769 in 2016, ranked #1,424.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,802 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Quigley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quigley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quigley 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 639 #4,063
1861 historical 739 #3,698
1881 historical 1,532 #2,740
1891 historical 1,417 #3,075
1901 historical 1,802 #2,905
1911 historical 1,287 #3,697
1997 modern 4,431 #1,483
1998 modern 4,515 #1,496
1999 modern 4,561 #1,498
2000 modern 4,543 #1,499
2001 modern 4,459 #1,492
2002 modern 4,587 #1,485
2003 modern 4,469 #1,488
2004 modern 4,471 #1,485
2005 modern 4,433 #1,480
2006 modern 4,469 #1,468
2007 modern 4,538 #1,453
2008 modern 4,554 #1,460
2009 modern 4,654 #1,466
2010 modern 4,812 #1,448
2011 modern 4,791 #1,440
2012 modern 4,686 #1,434
2013 modern 4,792 #1,428
2014 modern 4,833 #1,426
2015 modern 4,801 #1,419
2016 modern 4,769 #1,424

Geography

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Where Quigleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Manchester, Greenock, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyndford, Burnley, St. Helens, Paisley Central and Greenock West and Central. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyndford Glasgow City
2 Burnley 014 Burnley
3 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
4 Paisley Central Renfrewshire
5 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quigley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quigley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Quigley, 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 Quigley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Quigley 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, Quigley 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

Quigley 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

Quigley 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 Quigley 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 Quigley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Quigley

The surname Quigley is an anglicized version of an old Irish Gaelic name. It originated in County Mayo, Ireland, in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "O'Coigligh," which translates to "descendant of Coigleach." Coigleach was a personal name meaning "valorous" or "warlike."

The earliest recorded instance of the name Quigley can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The name appears as "O'Coigligh" in reference to a chieftain in County Mayo during the 1500s.

In the Annals of Ulster, another important historical record, the name is spelled "O'Cuiglidh" in an entry from the year 1432. This variation suggests that the name may have had multiple spellings in its early history.

One of the earliest recorded Quigleys was Tadhg O'Coigligh, a 16th-century Irish poet and historian from County Mayo. His works provide valuable insights into the cultural and political landscape of Ireland during that time.

Another notable figure with the surname was Captain Patrick Quigley, an Irish soldier who fought in the Williamite War in Ireland between 1689 and 1691. He was born in County Mayo in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, a prominent Quigley was Reverend James Quigley, an Irish clergyman and author who was born in County Mayo in 1735. He wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

A famous bearer of the name in the 19th century was Martin Quigley, an Irish immigrant to the United States who was born in County Mayo in 1827. He became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In more recent history, there was Dorothy Quigley, a Scottish writer and journalist who lived from 1915 to 1994. She was known for her novels and short stories that often explored themes of Scottish culture and identity.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quigley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quigley 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 413 Quigleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 413 2.33x
Lanarkshire 316 6.53x
Yorkshire 146 0.98x
Durham 116 2.61x
Cheshire 83 2.51x
Renfrewshire 74 6.38x
Middlesex 46 0.31x
Staffordshire 35 0.69x
Ayrshire 31 2.77x
Kent 26 0.51x
Devon 22 0.71x
Midlothian 22 1.10x
Surrey 22 0.30x
Perthshire 19 2.83x
Hampshire 16 0.52x
Stirlingshire 14 2.54x
Angus 13 0.94x
Cumberland 13 1.01x
Northumberland 13 0.58x
Derbyshire 12 0.51x
Argyllshire 11 2.64x
Wigtownshire 10 5.03x
Dumfriesshire 8 2.42x
Essex 8 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.35x
Warwickshire 7 0.19x
Leicestershire 6 0.36x
Glamorgan 4 0.15x
Royal Navy 3 1.68x
West Lothian 3 1.33x
Buteshire 2 2.21x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.50x
Flintshire 2 0.50x
Monmouthshire 2 0.18x
Sussex 2 0.08x
Kincardineshire 1 0.55x
Shetland 1 0.65x
Shropshire 1 0.08x
Wiltshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 89 Quigleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.27x.

Place Total Index
Barony 89 7.27x
Glasgow 72 8.38x
Liverpool 72 6.68x
Govan 42 3.51x
Manchester 39 4.88x
Birkenhead 35 13.29x
Bradford 26 7.24x
Maryhill 20 21.11x
Bothwell 19 14.48x
Heworth 19 21.66x
Middle Greenock 19 60.05x
West Greenock 18 8.65x
Leeds 16 1.91x
Tranmere 16 13.18x
Conside Knitsley 14 40.44x
Pemberton 13 18.36x
Pendleton In Salford 13 6.15x
Walsall Foreign 13 4.98x
Abbey 12 6.78x
Bootle Cum Linacre 12 8.51x
Preston 12 2.53x
Stockport 12 7.06x
Stoke Damerel 12 5.50x
Warrington 12 5.70x
Barton Upon Irwell 11 8.23x
Carluke 11 25.03x
Halifax 11 5.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 5.71x
Little Bolton 11 4.82x
Old Monkland 11 5.73x
Salford 11 2.11x
Sheffield 11 2.33x
Ulverston 11 21.27x
Wigan 11 4.43x
Clerkenwell London 10 2.83x
Dunoon Kilmun 10 30.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 1.24x
Horton In Bradford 10 4.32x
Kirkdale 10 3.35x
Toxteth Park 10 1.66x
West Derby 10 1.93x
Ashton Under Lyne 9 2.32x
Chatham 9 6.41x
Errol 9 72.35x
Everton 9 1.59x
Galston 9 29.38x
Leswalt 9 66.13x
Oldham 9 1.57x
Rutherglen 9 12.68x
Stirling 9 12.93x
Thornaby 9 16.24x
Wolsingham 9 22.18x
Ardwick 8 5.00x
Bishop Auckland 8 13.40x
Burnley 8 5.35x
East Greenock 8 7.31x
Hulme 8 2.16x
Islington London 8 0.55x
Moffat 8 53.05x
Shotts 8 13.81x
Worsley 8 7.31x
Bishopwearmouth 7 1.83x
Blackburn 7 1.48x
Cadder 7 19.59x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 7 59.42x
Dalmellington 7 21.26x
Gateshead 7 2.10x
Heaton Norris 7 6.93x
Hetton Le Hole 7 12.41x
Houston Killallan 7 62.39x
Liscard 7 11.76x
Portsea 7 1.16x
Skipton 7 15.00x
Sturston 7 180.88x
Westoe 7 2.77x
Aston 6 0.58x
Cambusnethan 6 5.58x
Croydon 6 1.48x
Plymouth Charles The 6 4.37x
Poplar London 6 2.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 109
Ann 36
Jane 29
Margaret 25
Sarah 25
Ellen 23
Catherine 22
Elizabeth 20
Bridget 17
Maria 10
Annie 8
Agnes 7
Eliza 7
Alice 6
Emily 5
Esther 5
Rose 5
Susan 5
Cathrine 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
M. 4
Winifred 4
Anne 3
Fanny 3
Isabella 3
Johanna 3
Kate 3
Katherine 3
Martha 3
Cathe. 2
Elizth. 2
Emma 2
Frances 2
Janet 2
Jessie 2
Joanna 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
S. 2
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Cassandra 1
Dorothy 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Edward 1
Eliz.A. 1
Jennie 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Quigley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quigley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,532 people were recorded with the Quigley surname. That placed it at #2,740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quigley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,769 in 2016. That gives Quigley a modern rank of #1,424.

What does the Quigley surname mean?

Of Irish origin, derived from Ó Coigligh, meaning "descendant of Coigleach" (an old Irish first name of uncertain meaning).

What does the Quigley map show?

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