Show ContentsQuigly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Quigly family

The surname Quigly 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 Quigly family

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

Quigly Spelling Variations

Names written in official documents were generally spelt as they sounded, leading to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion in records of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Quigly that are preserved in documents of the family history are O'Quigley, Quigley, Cogley, Quigly, Quigg, MacQuigg, McQuigge, O'Quigg, Twigg, Fivey and many more.

Early Notables of the Quigly family

Notable among the family name at this time was Patrick Cogley (died after 1470), an Irish Crown official, landowner and judge who was listed in 1461 as Master of the Rolls in Ireland and later Chief...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Quigly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Quigly migration to the United States +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Quigly:

Quigly Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Quigly, who arrived in New York in 1823
  • Edward Quigly, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1835 1
  • Thomas Mason Quigly, aged 23, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 1

Canada Quigly migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Quigly Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Farrel Quigly a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Zephyr" in 1833
  • Hugh Quigly, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland

Australia Quigly migration to Australia +

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

Quigly Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Catherine Quigly, Scottish convict from Glasgow, who was transported aboard the "Amphitrite" on August 21, 1833, settling in New South Wales, Australia 2
  • Catherine Quigly, aged 29, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" 3
  • Robert Quigly, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Velocity"

New Zealand Quigly 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:

Quigly Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Quigly, aged 25, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hudson" in 1879


  1. 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)
  2. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Amphitrite voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1833 with 99 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/amphitrite/1833
  3. South Australian Register Thursday 4th May 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Taymouth Castle 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/taymouthcastle1854.shtml


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