Quillan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

The surname Quillan is derived from the personal name Hugelin, which is a diminutive of Hugh. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Uighilin.

Early Origins of the Quillan family

The surname Quillan was first found in County Antrim (Irish: Aontroim) located in the province of Ulster in present day Northern Ireland, where they were granted lands by Strongbow after the Anglo/Norman invasion of Ireland in 1172.

Specifically, "The MacQuillans were lords of the territory of the Routes, in co. Antrim, holding their chief residence in the fine old sea-girt castle of Dunluce." MacLysaght agrees "The MacQillans are of Norman-Welsh descent: they settled soon after the invasion in the territory called the Route (co. Antrim.)" 1

One of the first records of the family was Malcolm MacQuillan who died in 1307. Little is known of his heritage, but what we do know is that he was granted safe conduct by the English so he could assail Scottish forces, on Scotland's western seaboard, with his galley fleet. He was part of a fleet of eighteen galleys with 1,000 men who landed near Stranraer, now a town in southwest Scotland in Inch, Dumfries and Galloway. But, this force was quickly overwhelmed by local forces led by Dungal MacDouall. MacQuillan was captured and executed. His head and the heads from two Irish chiefs were sent back to King Edward I.

Early History of the Quillan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quillan research. Another 217 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1307, 1315, 1442, 1485, 1542, 1559 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Quillan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quillan Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, a single person often had their name recorded by church officials and scribes many different ways. Names were typically spelt as they sounded, which resulted in many different spelling variations. The many versions of the name Quillan to have been recorded over the years include: McQuillan, McQuillen, McQuillian, McQuillin, McQuillon, McCailin, McAilin, MacQuillian, MacQuillon, MacCaillion, MacQuillin, MacQuillan, McKillan, McQuilland, McAiland, McAylin, McCaillion, McKillion, McKillin, McKillon, MacKillan, MacQuilland, MacAyland, MacAilan, Quillan and many more.

Early Notables of the Quillan family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

Malcolm MacQuillan (died 1307) Irish nobleman who was granted safe conduct by the English so he could assail Scottish forces, on Scotland's western seaboard, with his galley fleet in July 1300. Howeve...
In 1485, Rory MacQuillan founded a late Franciscan foundation named Bonamargy Friary situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. According to legend, the 17th century prophet and recluse Julie MacQui...

Quillan migration to the United States +

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Quillan:

Quillan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Michael Quillan, who settled in Charlestown Massachusetts in 1803

Contemporary Notables of the name Quillan (post 1700) +

Frederick David Quillan (1956-2016), American football offensive lineman
Jacob Quillan (b. 2002), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, named the Most Outstanding Player at the 2023 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)