Quillen
An Irish and Manx surname, often treated as a form of MacQuillan or related names built on an old Gaelic word for “whelp” or “cur.”
The #5,783 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,552 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually connected with Gaelic cuillean, a word glossed in older sources as “cur” or “whelp,” and in some traditions tied to surnames such as MacQuillan and Quillan. The Manx evidence also shows Quillen as a shortened form of Moore, from Irish O'Mordha, so the surname may have more than one origin depending on the family line. In short, Quillen can reflect either a Gaelic descriptive nickname formation or a later Anglicized shortening of an Irish clan name.
History
In Manx records, Quillen appears in the 17th century and was once common in the parish of Arbory, though it later became rare. Irish surname authorities also link it with several related spellings such as MacQuillen, MacQuillan, Quillan, and Quilkin, showing a broader family of forms in Ireland. Because different sources point to different roots, the surname’s history is likely mixed rather than single-origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Manx surname Quillen was noted as early as 1654 in parish records from Arbory.
From the historical record
“QUILLINE [1654], QUEILIN [1657]. QuiLLIN [1659], QUILLEN [1682]. It was formerly common in the parish of Arbory, but is now rare. Moore, contracted from O'Mordha, ' Mordha's descen- dant.' {Mordha is derived from 7n6r, ' great.') ' AiMERGiN Ua Mordha, a.d. ic26.'§ O'Mordha is anglicised O'More and More, which has…”
— The Surnames & Place-Names of the Isle of Man