Quinn

An Irish surname of Antrim, Dublin, and Galway. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 76,986 people, the 422nd most common surname in the country.

Quinn is the anglicised form of two distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Mac Cuinn, son of Conn (sense, reason, also a freeman, an ancient Irish personal name)

Ó Cuinn. This family stood in the barony of Raphoe in Co. Donegal, Co. Antrim, Co. Clare, Co. Longford, and Co. Mayo.

Where the name comes from

Ó Cuinn is descendant of Conn, which means head, sense, reason and intelligence, and also a freeman. It is a very common surname in all parts of Ireland and covers several distinct families.

The Thomond Quinns are a branch of the Dal gCais descended from Conn, lord of Muinntear Ifearnain, who flourished in the latter part of the 10th century. They were originally seated at Inchiquin, and their territory comprised the country around Corofin in Co. Clare. The Earl of Dunraven is a member of this family.

The Annaly Quinns are a branch of the Conmaicne, of the same stock as the O'Farrells, and were chiefs of Muinntear Giollagain, an extensive district in Co. Longford, until towards the end of the 14th century when the O'Farrells supplanted them. Quin is now a very common surname in Co. Longford.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

The Quinn counties, photographed

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

Dublin

Dublin is a county as well as a city. The bay has Howth at the north end and Killiney Hill at the south, the Muglins are a pair of rocks off Dalkey, and the Dublin Mountains start about half an hour from the city centre.

Moonlight reflecting on the sea near the Muglins lighthouse off Dalkey Island, Dublin, with the Kish light on the horizonThe Muglins by Moonlight II Co. Dublin Long exposure panoramic view of the White Rock swimming platform at Killiney Bay, Dublin, floating in misty high-tide watersThe White Rock, Killiney Bay, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin Heron fishing at dawn on the Dublin coast — fine art wildlife photograph by Peter CoxHeron, Co. Dublin Co. Dublin

Galway

Connemara takes up the west of the county: the Twelve Bens, blanket bog, and fields walled off into very small squares. The Aran Islands sit at the mouth of Galway Bay. The Gaeltacht starts a few miles west of Galway city.

Enormous waves sending spray over 30-metre sea cliffs at Poll an tSeidein on Inis Meain, Aran Islands at sunsetPoll an tSéideáin, Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway The rusting Plassey shipwreck on Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, seen from above with the Atlantic Ocean beyondThe Plassey, Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway Dramatic storm waves battering tall cliffs at sunset on the west coast of Inis Meain, Aran IslandsPoll an tSéideáin Panoramic, Inis Meáin, Aran Islands, Co. Galway Co. Galway Turf drying at sunset with Connemara mountains in the background, Co. Galway, Ireland, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxConnemara Turf, Co. Galway Co. Galway

All Antrim prints · All Dublin prints · All Galway prints

Notable bearers

Anthony Quinn (1915-2001), actor, writer, and musician.

Eimear Quinn (born 1972), singer.

Aidan Quinn (born 1959), actor, film producer, and theatre director.

Molly Quinn (born 1993), actor.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (born 1996), athletics competitor.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Smith · Brown · Miller · Wilson · Anderson · Thomas · Taylor · Moore · Jackson · Martin · Lee · Thompson

How common the name was

In 1890, 408 births were registered under Quinn in Ireland, most of them in Antrim, Cavan, Dublin, Galway, Roscommon, and Tyrone.

Ulster 165
Leinster 114
Connacht 76
Munster 63
Ireland 408

Cavan, Roscommon, and Tyrone are the ones I haven't worked in.