Quant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Scotland

The name Quant was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from St. Quinton, a third century missionary in Gaul. 1 Personal names derived from the names of saints, apostles, biblical figures, and missionaries are widespread in most European countries.

"A family of Quentin - the Quentins of Coupigny - still exists in Normandy. They came from Brittany, having expatriated themselves during the troublous times of Duchess Anne, and settled at Morigny, near Coutances, about 1450. Roger Quentin's claim to rank with the older nobility of the Duchy was recognized and confirmed in 1605 by the Cour des Aides of Rouen." 2

Harpham in the East Riding of Yorkshire was an ancient home for the family. "The church is the burial-place of the family of St. Quintin, whose founder came over with the Conqueror; their pedigree, from 1080 to 1777, showing an uninterrupted succession of twenty-eight generations in the male line, is beautifully represented in stained glass in the windows. On the western side of the churchyard are vestiges of the ancient family mansion and fish-ponds." 3

Early Origins of the Quant family

The surname Quant was first found in Cumberland where "the first trace of the name that I have met with is in the reign of Coeur de Lion, when Richard de Quintine was Abbot of Furness in Cumberland. But the notices of it soon become numerous, and appear in at least half a dozen counties. Richard Quintin held a knight's fee of the Earl of Hereford in Wiltshire." 2

So as to underscore the Norman heritage of this name we found: "Sir Herbert de St. Quintin, whose name appears on the Roll [of Battle Abbey], came from Lower Picardy, where the chief town is called St. Quintin." 4

Branches were later found in Essex and Dorset. Another branch of the family was found in the parish of Hornby in the North Riding of Yorkshire from ancient times.

"Hornby Castle, anciently the seat of the family of St. Quintin, and now belonging to his Grace the Duke of Leeds, is a spacious mansion in different styles of architecture, containing superb apartments, and commanding a fine view of the valley of Bedale." 3

Another early branch of the family was found at Lowthorp in the East Riding of Yorkshire. At one time an ancient hall there was held by the family but was taken down in 1826. 3

"Quentin became a somewhat popular personal name in Scotland, and has been immortalized by Walter Scott." 5

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had entries for: Richard Quintine, Wiltshire; John de St. Quintino, Wiltshire; Adam Quintin, Huntingdonshire; and Robert Quintyn, Norfolk. 5

Early History of the Quant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quant research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1660, 1695, 1698 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Quant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quant Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Quinton, Quinten, Quintin, Quintyne, St. Quinton and others.

Early Notables of the Quant family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William St. Quinton (ca. 1660-1723), English politician, born at Harpham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He was the eldest son of William St. Quintin, who died in the lifetime of his father. "Having succeeded his...
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quant migration to Canada +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Quant name or one of its variants:

Quant Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Frederick Quant U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 6
Mr. Jacob Quant U.E. who settled in Western District [The townships of Essex County and Kent County], Ontario c. 1789 he served in Butler's Rangers 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Quant (post 1700) +

Dame Barbara Mary Quant DBE, FCSD, RDI (1934-2023), Mrs Plunket Greene, English-born, Welsh fashion designer, instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod fashions
Mary Quant CH DBE, FCSD, RDI (1930-2023), birth name of Dame Barbara Mary Plunket Greene, a British fashion designer and fashion icon, one of the designers who took credit for the miniskirt and hotpants
Jonas Quant (b. 1973), Swedish producer and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X