Whin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Whin

What does the name Whin mean?

The Irish name Whin was originally written in a Gaelic form as Ó Cuinn, which means descendant of Conn.

Early Origins of the Whin family

The surname Whin was first found in county Longford (Irish: An Longfort) traditionally known as Annaly or Teffia, and situated in the Irish Midlands, in Northwest Leinster where they were Lords of Muintir Gillagain. The O'Quinns and MacQuinns (and all of the spelling variables derived from these) were descended from Conn, who in turn was descended from the Princes of Annaly.

Early History of the Whin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Whin research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1014, 1252, 1279, 1281, 1522, 1551, 1575, 1595, 1634, 1645, 1676, 1693, 1726 and 1766 are included under the topic Early Whin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Whin Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Whin were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. O'Quinn, Quin, Quinn, Quine, MacQuin, MacQuinn, McQuin, McQuinn, MacCuin, Cuinn, Cuin and many more.

Early Notables of the Whin family

Thomas O'Quinn, Bishop of Clonmacnois (1252-1279), as well as John Quinn, Bishop of Limerick (1522-1551), as well as Thady Quin (1645-1726) of Adare of the Thomond O'Quins, who was the grandfather of the first Earl of Dunraven. Walter Quin (c. 1575-1634), was an Irish poet and preceptor of Charles I. Born in Dublin, he travelled abroad and became a cultivated writer in English, French, Italian, and Latin. He was in Edinburgh when, in 1595, he...
Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Whin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Whin family

To escape the religious and political discrimination they experienced primarily at the hands of the English, thousands of Irish left their homeland in the 19th century. These migrants typically settled in communities throughout the East Coast of North America, but also joined the wagon trains moving out to the Midwest. Ironically, when the American War of Independence began, many Irish settlers took the side of England, and at the war's conclusion moved north to Canada. These United Empire Loyalists, were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Other Irish immigrants settled in Newfoundland, the Ottawa Valley, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The greatest influx of Irish immigrants, however, came to North America during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Thousands left Ireland at this time for North America and Australia. Many of those numbers, however, did not live through the long sea passage. These Irish settlers to North America were immediately put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Whin or a variant listed above, including: Ack Oquin, who arrived in Virginia in 1678; David Quinn, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1685; Daniel McQuinn, who sailed to Virginia in 1716; Knogher O'.