| ![Show Contents]() McQuillen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname McQuillen 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 McQuillen familyThe surname McQuillen 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 McQuillen familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our McQuillen 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 McQuillen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McQuillen Spelling VariationsDuring an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name McQuillen 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 McQuillen familyNotable 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. However, the invasion force was quickly overwhelmed by local forces. Malcolm was captured and summarily executed with the Irish sub king. The heads of McQuillan and two Irish chiefs were sent to King Edward I.In 1485, Rory MacQuillan founded a late Franciscan foundation named Bonamargy Friary situated in County Antrim...
Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McQuillen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. McQuillen RankingIn the United States, the name McQuillen is the 15,742nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
| McQuillen migration to the United States | + |
Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name McQuillen:
McQuillen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John McQuillen, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1772 3
- Edward McQuillen, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 3
McQuillen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- George McQuillen, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1860 3
- Edward, George, Patrick, Phillip, Roger, and Thomas McQuillen all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
- Dan N. McQuillen, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1895
- Emily Price McQuillen, aged 33, who settled in America, in 1895
- Mary McQuillen, aged 32, who immigrated to America from Drogheda, in 1898
McQuillen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Bridget McQuillen, aged 14, who settled in America from Liverpool, in 1901
- Minnie McQuillen, aged 20, who landed in America from Tullynahanera, Monaghan, in 1906
- Rose Ann McQuillen, aged 23, who settled in America from Drogreda, Ireland, in 1907
- John McQuillen, aged 31, who landed in America, in 1909
- Owen McQuillen, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States from Stanley, England, in 1910
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| McQuillen migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: McQuillen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Owen McQuillen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1849 4
| Contemporary Notables of the name McQuillen (post 1700) | + |
- Bob McQuillen (1923-2014), American teacher, musician, and prolific composer of contra dance tunes
- Glenn Richard "Red" McQuillen (1915-1989), American Major League Baseball reserve outfielder
- MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Constance.htm
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