NameCensus.

UK surname

Quincey

A surname derived from the French place name Quincy.

In the 1881 census there were 433 people recorded with the Quincey surname, ranking it #7,531 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 534, ranked #9,515, down from #7,531 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lincoln St Botolph, London parishes and Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Kettering and Lincoln.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Quincey is 612 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.3%.

1881 census count

433

Ranked #7,531

Modern count

534

2016, ranked #9,515

Peak year

2002

612 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Quincey had 433 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,531 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016, ranked #9,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 602 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Quincey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Quincey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Quincey 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 274 #8,176
1861 historical 217 #11,220
1881 historical 433 #7,531
1891 historical 424 #8,446
1901 historical 602 #7,062
1911 historical 552 #7,264
1997 modern 566 #8,486
1998 modern 573 #8,643
1999 modern 595 #8,487
2000 modern 584 #8,567
2001 modern 578 #8,506
2002 modern 612 #8,345
2003 modern 577 #8,555
2004 modern 601 #8,339
2005 modern 594 #8,334
2006 modern 578 #8,521
2007 modern 582 #8,555
2008 modern 588 #8,548
2009 modern 583 #8,773
2010 modern 593 #8,862
2011 modern 579 #8,924
2012 modern 570 #8,932
2013 modern 572 #9,042
2014 modern 565 #9,191
2015 modern 549 #9,324
2016 modern 534 #9,515

Geography

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Where Quinceys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lincoln St Botolph, London parishes, Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick, Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington and Peterborough St John the Baptist. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Kettering, Lincoln and Salford. 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 Lincoln St Botolph Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Apethorpe, Yarwell, Nassington, Wood Newton, Southwick Northamptonshire
4 Sawtry St Andrew, Sawtry All Saints, Sawtry St Judith, Conington Huntingdonshire
5 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 009 South Holland
2 South Holland 001 South Holland
3 Kettering 010 Kettering
4 Lincoln 008 Lincoln
5 Salford 028 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Quincey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Quincey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Quincey, 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 Quincey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Quincey 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Quincey 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

Quincey is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Quincey falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Quincey 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Quincey

The surname QUINCEY originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French words "quince" meaning quince, and "ey" meaning island or meadow. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a quince orchard or meadow with quince trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name QUINCEY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. It mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Quincey in Buckinghamshire.

In the 12th century, there was a prominent Norman family with the surname QUINCEY who held lands in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Saher de Quincey (c. 1155-1219) was a notable member of this family and served as the Earl of Winchester.

Another early bearer of the name was Robert de Quincey (c. 1192-1257), who was a Baron and fought in the Barons' War against King John. His son, Roger de Quincey (c. 1215-1265), was also a Baron and fought in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III.

In the 14th century, a variation of the name, "Quyncy," appeared in the records of Suffolk. This may have been influenced by the nearby town of Quincy, which was named after the Quincey family who held lands there.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname QUINCEY was the English writer and literary critic Thomas de Quincey (1785-1859). He is best known for his work "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," which detailed his struggles with opium addiction.

Other notable individuals with the surname QUINCEY include the English judge and legal writer Sir John Quincey (1555-1628), and the American soldier and politician Edmund Quincy (1808-1877), who served as a Union Army general during the American Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Quincey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Quincey 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. Northamptonshire leads with 108 Quinceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.12x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 108 27.12x
Lincolnshire 97 14.33x
Middlesex 61 1.44x
Huntingdonshire 30 35.69x
Lancashire 19 0.38x
Kent 18 1.25x
Surrey 18 0.87x
Nottinghamshire 16 2.80x
Yorkshire 15 0.36x
Durham 11 0.87x
Leicestershire 11 2.34x
Warwickshire 6 0.56x
Worcestershire 6 1.09x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.49x
Rutland 3 9.65x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.78x
Essex 2 0.24x
Staffordshire 2 0.14x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Herefordshire 1 0.58x
Norfolk 1 0.15x
Royal Navy 1 1.98x
Suffolk 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yarwell in Northamptonshire leads with 18 Quinceys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3214.29x.

Place Total Index
Yarwell 18 3214.29x
Plumstead 14 29.08x
St Nicholas Lincoln 13 200.93x
Braceborough 12 4444.44x
Peterborough 11 38.15x
Aldwinkle St Peter 10 3333.33x
Hampstead London 10 15.17x
Limehouse London 10 21.52x
Threckingham 10 4761.90x
Bermondsey 9 7.14x
Bradford 9 8.86x
Ealing 9 23.79x
Dalby 8 3478.26x
Earls Barton 8 235.29x
Spalding 8 59.57x
St Martin Lincoln 8 127.39x
Beeston 7 106.71x
Farcett 7 679.61x
Islington London 7 1.71x
Polebrook 7 1076.92x
St Pancras London 7 2.05x
Sutterton 7 518.52x
Westminster St John 7 13.58x
Woodwalton 7 1707.32x
Burton Latimer 6 248.96x
Kettering 6 37.24x
Leicester St Margaret 6 5.24x
Aston 5 1.70x
Boston 5 24.34x
Dudley 5 7.44x
Dunston 5 442.48x
Sawtry St Judith 5 1612.90x
Stranton 5 11.79x
Streatham 5 15.92x
Wadenhoe 5 1470.59x
Ardwick 4 8.83x
Aylestone 4 108.11x
Bardney 4 198.02x
Barnwell St Andrew 4 1081.08x
Darlington 4 8.23x
Floore 4 268.46x
Glinton 4 701.75x
Metheringham 4 148.15x
Salford 4 2.71x
Sawtry St Andrew 4 754.72x
Southwark St Saviour 4 18.38x
Toxteth Park 4 2.35x
Barnwell All Sts 3 1500.00x
Broughton In Salford 3 6.53x
Kensington London 3 1.27x
Lower Halstow 3 285.71x
Nottingham St Mary 3 2.03x
Orton Longville 3 789.47x
Oundle 3 67.42x
Radford 3 10.35x
Ryhall 3 291.26x
Shoreditch London 3 1.63x
Aismunderby Cum 2 168.07x
Barrow In Furness 2 2.93x
Bradford Girlington 2 106.38x
Bradwell 2 55.56x
Crowland 2 47.06x
Elm 2 76.05x
Hemington 2 869.57x
Irthlingborough 2 51.28x
Little Carlton 2 833.33x
March 2 22.27x
Mears Ashby 2 273.97x
Northborough 2 645.16x
Rushden 2 37.52x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 2 21.01x
Stockton On Tees 2 3.29x
Sutton 2 370.37x
Warmington 2 200.00x
Warrington 2 3.36x
Wellingborough 2 9.99x
West Ham 2 1.08x
Market Deeping 1 56.82x
Old Weston 1 212.77x
Stoke Doyle 1 555.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 27
William 24
Thomas 17
Edward 16
James 10
Richard 10
Samuel 9
George 8
Charles 7
Henry 6
Josiah 6
Albert 4
Alfred 4
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Amos 2
Benjamin 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Jno. 2
Landers 2
Martin 2
Tom 2
Wm. 2
Ambrose 1
Bertram 1
Christmas 1
David 1
Edmunds 1
Elijah 1
G. 1
Harvey 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Jnr. 1
Joe 1
Joshua 1
Manley 1
Nicholer 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Roger 1
Sanders 1
Toronce 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Quincey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Quincey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 433 people were recorded with the Quincey surname. That placed it at #7,531 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Quincey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016. That gives Quincey a modern rank of #9,515.

What does the Quincey surname mean?

A surname derived from the French place name Quincy.

What does the Quincey map show?

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