Quilter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Quilter surname is occupational in origin. It is derived from the Middle English/Old French word "cuilte," which meant "mattress." As a surname, it was no doubt originally used by a maker of quilts and mattresses. 1

Early Origins of the Quilter family

The surname Quilter was first found in London, where Richard le cuilter was listed c. 1179. A few years later, Ralph le Cuilter was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1186, and later Walter le Quilter was listed in the 12th century in Lincolnshire. 2

Oxfordshire where one of the first records of the name was Richard le Quilter who was listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 3

Early History of the Quilter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quilter research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1841, 1886, 1897 and 1911 are included under the topic Early Quilter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quilter Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Quilter, Quelter, Quylter and others.

Early Notables of the Quilter family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Cuthbert Quilter (1841-1911), of Bawdsey Manor in Bawdsey in the County of Suffolk who in 1897 had the Quilter Baronetcy created for him. He was one of the founders of the National Telepho...
To date there have been 4 baronets: 1 Sir William Cuthbert Quilter, 1st Baronet; Sir William Eley Cuthbert Quilter, 2nd Baronet; Sir John Raymond Cuthbert Quilter, 3rd Baronet; and Sir Anthony Raymond...

Migration of the Quilter family to Ireland

Some of the Quilter family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quilter migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Quilter or a variant listed above:

Quilter Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mark Quilter, who arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1648 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Quilter (post 1700) +

Laura Quilter (b. 1968), American lawyer and archivist
Peter Quilter, English playwright
Roger Quilter (1877-1953), English composer
Sir Anthony Raymond Leopold Cuthbert Quilter (b. 1937), 4th Baronet
Sir William Eley Cuthbert Quilter (1873-1952), 2nd Baronet
Sir John Raymond Cuthbert Quilter (1902-1959), 3rd Baronet, best remembered for his manufacture of static-line parachutes widely used by British troops during and after the Second World War

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)