Quinn
Meaning
from Irish surname Ó Cuinn and the name Conn, possibly "sense, reason" or "head, chief"
The story
Quinn began as an Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Ó Cuinn, descendant of Conn. The older name Conn has an uncertain root, possibly Old Irish for sense or reason, or for head and chief. That makes wise a possible family association, not a complete literal translation of every Quinn. In the United States, the surname became a given name for both sexes. Boys led at first; girls moved ahead around 2010, shortly after the character Quinn Fabray appeared on Glee, though a timing match does not explain every family's choice. The page's combined curve rises modestly in the 1990s and 2000s, then jumps into its highest band in the 2010s and stays there in the 2020s. Quinn's one-syllable shape feels modern, but its route is old: Irish personal name, hereditary surname, then a genuinely gender-neutral given name.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Quinn peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
When you meet Quinn
Most people given the name Quinn in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Quinn deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Quinn truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Quinn fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Names like Quinn · Middle names for Quinn · Irish American baby names · Gender-neutral names
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