Meaning and origin
Quinn is an Irish surname name used for both girls and boys. It comes from Ó Cuinn, meaning “descendant of Conn.” The older personal name Conn may be connected with an Irish word for “sense” or “reason,” or with a word meaning “head” or “chief.” Quinn therefore has a clear surname history, with more than one proposed explanation for its deeper root.
Conn also belongs to Irish legendary history through Conn of the Hundred Battles, a legendary high king. The surname carried the older personal name forward, and Quinn later became a first name in its own right. Quin is a spelling variant with a single final n.
Pronunciation and sound
Quinn is pronounced KWIN, in one syllable. Its opening qu makes the familiar kw sound, followed by a short vowel and a final n. The double n gives the spelling a balanced appearance without adding a syllable or changing the basic rhythm.
Its compact structure distinguishes Quinn from longer surname names and from many traditional Irish names with several syllables. It can stand on its own without a nickname, and its use for both sexes is an established part of its American story. The same spelling appears in sports and television, bringing together quite different cultural associations.
Quinn Hughes and hockey
Defenseman Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the 2023–24 NHL season while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. The award recognizes outstanding all-round play by a defenseman. Hughes was the first player at his position in the Canucks organization to receive it.
That season, his first as the team's captain, he recorded seventeen goals and seventy-five assists for ninety-two points. He led NHL defensemen in assists and points, and the Canucks won their division. This namesake gives Quinn a prominent sporting connection grounded in a specific season and achievement.
A changing American pattern
For much of its American history, Quinn was more common for boys. Girls overtook boys in 2010, shortly after the character Quinn Fabray began appearing in the television series Glee. The timing places the character alongside a change in use, though the name's surname history is much older than the show.
The largest annual male count was 1,340 in 2009, when Quinn ranked 259th for boys. For girls, the largest count came in 2016, with 3,649 births; its best female rank was 73rd in 2022.
In 2025, Quinn ranked 97th for girls, with 2,634 births, and 467th for boys, with 663. Its popularity now leans female in the United States, while substantial continuing male use preserves the name's shared character.
Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution
Meaning and history draw on the references below. American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling; counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.
How popular is Quinn?
In 2025, Quinn ranked #97 among girls in the United States, with 2,634 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1948; its largest annual count was 3,649 in 2016. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.