MCQUILLEN
Recorded variant spellings include Mc Quillen, Mcquillen
McQuillen is an Irish surname that has been identified as having origins within the British Isles, particularly Ireland. The surname is traditionally classed as Gaelic, with a Christian cultural background, and its etymology is tied to the Celtic naming tradition of patronymic surnames.
The name is commonly recognised as a derivation of the Gaelic Mac Uighilín, a phrase that literally translates to *son of Uighilín*. The personal name Uighilín is itself a diminutive of Uilleag, the Irish equivalent of the English name William. Consequently, one interpretation of the surname is *son of little William* or *descendant of William*. In other historical records the same patronymic is rendered as Mac Uighilin and is associated with a Norman‑Welsh ancestor named Hugeline de Mandeville.
Hugeline de Mandeville was a landowning knight from Wales who accompanied the Earl of Pembroke, Strongbow, to Ireland in 1169. He later supported King Henry II during the English invasion and was granted the territory known as *The Route* in County Antrim. In this locale the clan came to be identified with the title Lords of the Route, and their chief residence was the castle of Dunluce until the 1580 defeat by the MacDonnells.
Historical documents record early spellings such as McQuillan, McQuillen, and McQuillin. The first recorded instance of the family name is dated in the period between 1390 and 1449 at the Route, County Antrim, during the reign of King Art MacMurrough, King of Leinster. Over time the clan’s members were described as princes of Dalriada and resided as hereditary High Constables of Ulster, indicating a high social status within the region.
Because the surname has been transcribed from Gaelic to English, a number of orthographic variations have appeared. Notable spellings that are recognised in genealogical research include McQuillan, McQuillin, McQuillian, Quillan and Quillin. These variations arise from differences in phonetic transcription and regional accents, and are important for accurate family history studies.
In contemporary times the surname remains most frequently found in Northern Ireland, continuing to reflect its historical concentration in the Antrim area. It is also present in nations that experienced significant Irish emigration, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. Nonetheless, the highest density of individuals bearing the surname McQuillen remains in the region from which the clan originally derived its power.
Typical given names associated with the McQuillen surname
Male
- Andrew
- Cj
- David
- Gerald
- Graeme
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Miles
- Peter
- Philip
- Robert
- Ross
Female
- Amy
- Helen
- Janice
- Katherine
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Pamela
- Rachel
- Sarah
- Susan
- Wendi
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname McQuillen in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 164 people named McQuillen in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around three in a million people in Britain are named McQuillen.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
