QUILTER
Quilter is a surname of English origin, traditionally categorised as an occupational name.
The name derives from the Middle English word quilte, meaning a quilt or a padded garment. It was originally applied to a person who worked as a quilter—that is, a craftsman who sewed together layers of fabric to create a quilt.
Evidence also points to an Old French root, with the name originating from the Old French terms cuilte or coilte, again meaning a quilt or a mattress. The Latin root culcita eventually gave rise to these French forms, and the agent suffix -er identified the individual by his profession.
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, French settlers introduced the surname into England. Early records in the written archives include Ralph le Cuiltier in the 1186 Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire and William le Quilter in the documents relating to the Danelaw, Lincolnshire, dated 1189.
In 1507, a John Quylter, B.A. is recorded in the Oxford University Register, demonstrating the name’s presence among the educated classes. A later entry, on 29 November 1562, notes the christening of John Quilter or Quylter at St. Paul's, Canterbury, Kent.
The earliest documented spelling is that of Richard le Cuilter, dated circa 1179, found in the “Records of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital” in London during the reign of King Henry XI, crowned there in 1154.
In 1551 a Coat of Arms was granted to the Quilter family. The blazon features a silver shield with a black bend between three Cornish choughs proper. The crest consists of an arm embowed in armour holding a battle axe, all proper, with a silver scarf round the wrist.
Over time the occupational descriptor evolved into a hereditary surname. Subsequent generations carried the name Quilter, with the spelling its residing in the modern era largely unchanged.
Individuals bearing the surname have maintained the association with skilled craftsmanship, whether in textile production, shield-making, or related trades. The historical continuity of the name reflects both its specific occupational origin and its integration into the English social fabric.
Thus, the surname Quilter exemplifies the transformation of a medieval profession into a family identity, preserved through centuries of documented history across the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Quilter surname
Male
- Brian
- David
- John
- Joseph
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Alison
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Gaynor
- Jean
- Joanne
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
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 Quilter in...
Braille
⠟⠥⠊⠇⠞⠑⠗
Morse
--.-..-...-..-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,097 people named Quilter in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,871st most common surname in Britain. Around 17 in a million people in Britain are named Quilter.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Quilter
- Roger Quilter - Composer (1877 to 1953)
- David Quilter - Actor
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.