Show ContentsQuigley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Quigley

What does the name Quigley mean?

The Irish surnames in use today are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Quigley originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Coigligh, which may be derived from "coigeal," which denotes "unkempt hair."

Early Origins of the Quigley family

The surname Quigley was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Quigley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Quigley research. Another 162 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1461, 1468 and 1470 are included under the topic Early Quigley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Quigley Spelling Variations

In the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Quigley family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including O'Quigley, Quigley, Cogley, Quigly, Quigg, MacQuigg, McQuigge, O'Quigg, Twigg, Fivey and many more.

Early Notables of the Quigley family

Notable among the family name at this time was

  • Father James O'Quigley was the great Irish patriot who was hanged in England and Doctor James O'Quigley, Bishop of Buffalo

Quigley Ranking

In the United States, the name Quigley is the 2,638th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Quigley is ranked the 582nd most popular surname with an estimated 78 people with that name. 2


Quigley migration to the United States +

Ireland saw an enormous decrease in its population in the 19th century due to immigration and death. This pattern of immigration began slowly in the late 18th century and gradually grew throughout the early portion of the 19th century. However, a dramatic increase in the country's immigration numbers occurred when the Great Potato Famine struck in the 1840s. The early immigrants to North America were primarily destined to be farmers tending to their own plot of land, those that came later initially settled within pre-established urban centers. These urban immigrants provided the cheap labor that the fast developing United States and soon to be Canada required. Regardless of their new lifestyle in North America, the Irish immigrants to the United States and Canada made invaluable contributions to their newly adopted societies. An investigation of immigrant and passenger lists revealed many Quigleys:

Quigley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Austin Quigley, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 3
  • Cane Quigley, who landed in Maryland in 1678 3
  • Cate Quigley, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 3
  • Charles Quigley, who landed in Maryland in 1678 3
  • Daniel Quigley, who landed in Maryland in 1678 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Quigley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Owen Quigley, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 3
Quigley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edward Quigley, who landed in America in 1806 3
  • Martha Quigley, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1811 3
  • T Quigley, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 3
  • Elizabeth Quigley, aged 21, who landed in Massachusetts in 1812 3
  • John Quigley, aged 28, who landed in New York in 1812 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Quigley migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Quigley Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Joanna Quigley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1832
  • Kyle Quigley, aged 20, who landed in Quebec in 1833
  • Thomas Quigley, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • John Quigley, aged 23, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
  • Owen Quigley, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Trial" in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Quigley migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Quigley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Jane Quigley, (b. 1793), aged 25, Irish convict who was convicted in Londonderry, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. Thomas Quigley, (b. 1807), aged 22, Irish labourer who was convicted in Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd March 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Miss Maria Quigley, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 16th November 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
  • Mr. John Quigley, English convict who was convicted in Chatham, Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Daniel Quigley, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Anna Maria" on March 6, 1848, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Quigley migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Quigley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Quigley, Irish settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 9
  • Mrs. Catherine Quigley, Irish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 9
  • Mr. Patrick Quigley, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Dinapore" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th August 1857 10
  • Mrs. Mary Ann Quigley, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Dinapore" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th August 1857 10
  • Mr. Henry Quigley, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "British Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th August 1859 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Quigley (post 1700) +

  • Jane Quigley (b. 1939), birth name of Jane Alexander, an American Tony award and two-time Emmy Award winning actress, and former director of the National Endowment for the Arts
  • Ernie Quigley (1880-1960), Canadian-American sports official
  • Maggie Quigley (b. 1979), American actress
  • Linnea Quigley (b. 1958), American movie actress
  • Joan M. Quigley (b. 1940), American politician from New Jersey
  • Dana Quigley (b. 1947), American PGA golfer
  • Carroll Quigley (1910-1977), American writer and history professor at Georgetown University
  • Brett Quigley (b. 1969), American PGA golfer
  • Donald L. Quigley, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Andrew P. Quigley, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Chelsea, Massachusetts, 1953-55; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1956 11
  • ... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hillcrest Coal Mine
  • Mr. Thomas Quigley (1880-1914), Scottish Mine Carpenter from Cambusnetran, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 12
  • Mr. James S Quigley (1874-1914), Scottish Superintendent from Fauldhouse, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom who worked in the Hillcrest Coal Mine, Alberta, Canada and died in the mine collapse 12
HMS Hood
  • Mr. John J Quigley (b. 1916), Canadian Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 13
HMS Royal Oak
  • Archibald Quigley (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 14


Suggested Readings for the name Quigley +

  • The Union of our Quigley and Munro Families by Eleanor Freeburn.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  8. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anna Maria voyage to Van Diemen's Land or Port Phillip, Australia in 1848 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anna-maria/1848
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  12. List Of Miners - Hillcrest Mine Disaster Data. (Retrieved 2014, June 24) . Retrieved from http://www.hillcrestminedisaster.com/data/index.php?title=List_Of_Miners
  13. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  14. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html


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