NameCensus.

UK surname

Quill

A surname derived from the writing instrument made from a feather.

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Quill surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, up from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Epping Forest, Rhondda Cynon Taf and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quill is 292 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 103.9%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

2000

292 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quill had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 128 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Quill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quill 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 73 #20,581
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 272 #14,451
1998 modern 288 #14,249
1999 modern 286 #14,412
2000 modern 292 #14,165
2001 modern 280 #14,364
2002 modern 289 #14,341
2003 modern 278 #14,540
2004 modern 277 #14,644
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 259 #15,370
2007 modern 262 #15,399
2008 modern 268 #15,311
2009 modern 271 #15,511
2010 modern 272 #15,811
2011 modern 271 #15,708
2012 modern 273 #15,546
2013 modern 275 #15,719
2014 modern 283 #15,495
2015 modern 268 #16,007
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Quills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), St George in the East, London parishes, St Marylebone and St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Epping Forest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, York and Calderdale. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 St Paul Shadwell, Ratcliff hamlet London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Epping Forest 012 Epping Forest
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 020 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 York 002 York
4 Epping Forest 015 Epping Forest
5 Calderdale 005 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quill

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Quill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Quill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Quill is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Quill 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

Quill falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Quill is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Quill

The surname Quill is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cyl" or "cyll," which meant "feather" or "quill." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages, when it was adopted as a surname by those who worked with quills or feathers, such as scribes, writers, or feather merchants.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Quill can be found in various medieval records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which list a John Quyll from Oxfordshire. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1212, where a Robert Quill is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname Quill was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire. Some notable examples from this period include John Quyll, a landowner in Oxfordshire recorded in the Feet of Fines in 1348, and William Quill, a resident of Warwickshire mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the spelling of the surname varied, with forms such as Quill, Quyll, and Quile appearing in various records. One notable figure from this time was Thomas Quill, a merchant from London who lived in the early 17th century and was involved in the colonial trade with Virginia.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Quill continued to be found throughout England, with concentrations in the Midlands and the South East. One prominent individual was James Quill (1716-1805), a notable architect from Somerset who designed several churches and country houses in the region.

Another notable bearer of the Quill surname was Sir Michael Quill (1805-1876), a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of the Ionian Islands from 1859 to 1864. He was also a Member of Parliament for Barnstaple from 1852 to 1857.

In the literary world, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Quill was Stephen Quill (1854-1920), an Irish author and poet who wrote several volumes of verse and plays in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Quill is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, with its origins rooted in the medieval crafts of writing and feather-working.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quill 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. Middlesex leads with 65 Quills recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.53x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 65 4.53x
Isle of Man 18 67.59x
Lancashire 17 1.00x
Renfrewshire 10 9.00x
Lanarkshire 7 1.51x
Sussex 7 2.90x
Gloucestershire 4 1.42x
Northumberland 3 1.41x
Cumberland 2 1.62x
Herefordshire 2 3.40x
Kent 2 0.41x
Surrey 2 0.29x
Warwickshire 2 0.55x
Berkshire 1 0.93x
Channel Islands 1 2.35x
Devon 1 0.34x
Glamorgan 1 0.40x
Lincolnshire 1 0.44x
Northamptonshire 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St George In East in Middlesex leads with 13 Quills recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.33x.

Place Total Index
St George In East 13 133.33x
St Marylebone London 13 16.98x
Lonan 12 745.34x
Eastwood 10 146.20x
Barton Upon Irwell 7 54.64x
Kensington London 7 8.78x
Newton 6 45.77x
Ratcliffe London 6 75.76x
Arbory 5 862.07x
Broadwater 5 90.09x
East Kilbride 5 251.26x
Willesden 5 36.98x
Islington London 4 2.88x
Kirkdale 4 13.98x
Shoreditch London 4 6.44x
Cowpen 3 61.10x
Hammersmith London 3 8.49x
Shadwell London 3 74.81x
St Anne Soho London 3 36.63x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 7.55x
Cheltenham 2 9.22x
Govan 2 1.74x
Ross 2 85.47x
Whitehaven 2 30.40x
Barton St Peter 1 95.24x
Brighton 1 2.05x
Buxted 1 105.26x
Chelsea London 1 2.31x
Coventry Holy Trinity 1 9.26x
Dartford 1 20.00x
East Stonehouse 1 17.01x
Edgbaston 1 8.92x
Gillingham 1 9.91x
Lambeth 1 0.80x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 4.17x
Onchan 1 13.04x
Peterborough 1 10.25x
Sandhurst 1 48.08x
Spitalfields London 1 9.28x
St Clement Danes 1 43.10x
St George Hanover 1 5.34x
St Peter Port 1 12.72x
Wandsworth 1 7.25x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Quill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Quill surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Quill a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Quill surname mean?

A surname derived from the writing instrument made from a feather.

What does the Quill map show?

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