O'Quinlivan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of O'Quinlivan

What does the name O'Quinlivan mean?

Irish surnames are all based on the Gaelic language native to Ireland. The original Gaelic form of the name O'Quinlivan is Ó Caoinleain or Ó Caoindealbhain.

Early Origins of the O'Quinlivan family

The surname O'Quinlivan was first found in County Meath (Irish: An Mhí) anciently part of the kingdom of Brega, located in Eastern Ireland, in the province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the O'Quinlivan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Quinlivan research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early O'Quinlivan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

O'Quinlivan Spelling Variations

The recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name O'Quinlivan revealed spelling variations, including Quinlan, O'Quinlan, O'Quinlevan, O'Quinlivan and many more.

Early Notables of the O'Quinlivan family

More information is included under the topic Early O'Quinlivan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the O'Quinlivan family

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the O'Quinlivan family came to North America quite early: John Quinlan who arrived in Quebec in 1825 with Margaret his wife and five children; Mary Quinland and her husband settled in Charleston in 1803; James, John, Mary, Michael, Patrick, Thomas and William Quinlan all arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1800 and 1840.

The O'Quinlivan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: True to the end