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Irish surname

McQuillan: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Uidhilín, Mac Uidhlín, Mac Uighilín · 'son of Hugelin' (a double diminutive of Hugh), or 'son of Hudelin' (a double diminutive of Hud, a 'pet' form of Richard)

Woulfe (1923) gives MacQuillan as an anglicised form of Mac Uidhilín, the name of a family said to be of Welsh origin who settled in the Route, in the north of Co. Antrim, soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion. He says that towards the close of the 16th century the MacDonnells wrested from them the greater part of their territory. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 33 entries including spelling varieties (30 spelled McQuillan), principally in Antrim and Monaghan.

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Coat of arms associated with the McQuillan surname
Irish formMac Uidhilín, Mac Uidhlín, Mac Uighilín
Meaning'son of Hugelin' (a double diminutive of Hugh), or 'son of Hudelin' (a double diminutive of Hud, a 'pet' form of Richard)
CountiesAntrim, Monaghan
Other spellings9

Origin of the McQuillan name

Woulfe: Mac Uidhilín was 'the name of a family, said to be of Welsh origin, who settled, soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion, in the Route, in the north of Co. Antrim. Towards the close of the 16th century, the MacDonnells wrested from them the greater part of their territory and completely destroyed their power.'[1]

  1. 1310Four Masters: Mac Quillin (Johnock) slays Hugh Breifneach O'Conor, for a bribe.[7]
  2. 1357Four Masters: Brian O'Rourke and Manus Boy Magauran slain 'in the Route, Mac Quillin's territory'.[8]
  3. 1358Four Masters: Senicin Jenkin Mac Quillin, High Constable of Ulster, died.[8]
  4. 1544Four Masters: O'Donnell takes Mac Quillin's wooden castle on Inis an-lochain.[10]
  5. 189033 birth entries incl. spelling varieties (30 McQuillan); principally Antrim and Monaghan.[4][5]

Where in Ireland

Co. AntrimMac Uidhilín family settled in the Route, north Co. Antrim; first county named for McQuillan births in 1890.[1][4]
Co. MonaghanOne of the two counties where McQuillan births were principally found in 1890.[4]

Notable people named McQuillan

Senicin Jenkin Mac Quillind. 1358Recorded by the Four Masters at his death in 1358 as 'High Constable of the province of Ulster'.[8]
Slevny Mac Quillind. 1368Recorded by the Four Masters at his death in 1368 as 'Constable of the Province of Ulster'.[9]

Other spellings

MacQuillan · MacQuillin · MacQuillian · MacQuillen · MacQuillon · M'Quilline · M'Quillen · M'Quillon · M'Quilin[1]

Scottish connection

Woulfe also prints MacQuillan among the anglicised forms of Mac Coilín, 'son of Coilín', 'a variant of Mac Cailín', which he glosses 'son of Cailín' (the Scottish Colin). He says the anglicised forms of Mac Coilín 'cannot always be distinguished from those of Mac Uidhilín'.[2][3]

The McQuillan coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the McQuillan surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

McQuillan crest gifts

Clan Macquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapMF75 Classic Cap - Macquillan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Macquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mcquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapYR11 Classic Cap - Mcquillan Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Mcquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Mcquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap WV78 Mcquillan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Mcquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Macquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap DS74 Macquillan Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Macquillan Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00

McQuillan surname: questions

What does the surname McQuillan mean?

Woulfe gives MacQuillan as a form of Mac Uidhilín, 'son of Hugelin' (a double diminutive of Hugh), or 'son of Hudelin' (a double diminutive of Hud, a 'pet' form of Richard).[1]

Is McQuillan Irish, Welsh or Scottish?

Woulfe says the Mac Uidhilín family was 'said to be of Welsh origin' and settled in the Route, north Co. Antrim, soon after the Anglo-Norman invasion. He also lists MacQuillan under Mac Coilín, a variant of Mac Cailín ('son of Cailín', the Scottish Colin), and says the two names' English forms cannot always be told apart.[1][2][3]

Where in Ireland is the McQuillan name from?

Woulfe places the Mac Uidhilín family in the Route, in the north of Co. Antrim. In 1890 McQuillan births were principally found in Antrim and Monaghan.[1][4]

What happened to the MacQuillans of the Route?

Woulfe says that towards the close of the 16th century the MacDonnells wrested from them the greater part of their territory and completely destroyed their power.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Uidhilín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macu/mac-uidhilin.php
  2. Mac Coilín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-coilin.php
  3. Mac Cailín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-cailin.php
  4. McQuillan — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/mcquillan.php
  5. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php
  6. M'Quillan — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/1472.php
  7. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1310 (part 14) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text014.html
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1357–1358 (part 19) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text019.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1368 (part 20) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text020.html
  10. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1544 (part 5) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005E/text005.html

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).