Quig History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Quig is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the county of Devon where they worked as dairy farmers. The surname is both local and occupational, since it describes where the original bearers lived and what work they did. The surname was originally derived from the Old English word cwic. Occupational names that were derived from the common trades of the medieval era transcended European cultural and linguistic boundaries. In this case the surname Quig was originally derived from the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer; dairy farming. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames.

Early Origins of the Quig family

The surname Quig was first found in Devon where this name occurred amongst the burgesses and churchwardens of Tiverton. 1 The name was also frequented in Cornwall where the name was derived from the Cornish word guîk, meaning a village. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one listing and was with a very early spelling: Robert Quic in Cambridgeshire. The Close Rolls listed William Quykkc, 14 Henry VI and John Quicke, Close Rolls, 3 Edward IV. 3 For these two latter entries, the reader should note that early rolls used the date of the king's reign as in 14 Henry VI, which meant during the 14th year of King Henry VI's reign.

Early History of the Quig family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quig research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1636, 1650, 1653, 1706 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Quig History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quig Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Quig has been spelled many different ways, including Quick, Quicke, Quig, Quigg, Quegg and others.

Early Notables of the Quig family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quig Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Quig family to Ireland

Some of the Quig family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quig migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Quigs to arrive in North America:

Quig Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Quig, who settled in Philadelphia in 1798

Quig Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Quig, who arrived in America in 1810 4
Martha Quig, aged 28, who arrived in America in 1822 4
Roger Quig, who landed in New York in 1834 4
B G Quig, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 4
Henry, John, Martha and Robert Quig all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860

Quig migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Quig Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Michael Quig, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
Elizabeth Quig, aged 28, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
Frances Quig, aged 6, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
Patrick Quig, aged 5, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
Michael Quig, aged 3, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Bartley" in 1833
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Quig (post 1700) +

Dr. David Quig, American researcher, known for his work Cysteine metabolism and metal toxicity (1998)
Alec Quig, American color timer, known for Runaway Hearts (2015)
Collin Quig, American actor, known for Happy Birthday, Harris Malden (2008)

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
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)