Quintin

About Quintin

Quintin is a form of Quentin, a name ultimately derived from Latin quintus, “fifth.” Pronounced KWIN-tun, it has a long history behind its compact two-syllable sound. Educational philanthropist Quintin Hogg gives the spelling a particular association with the institution that became the University of Westminster.

Meaning and earlier history

The name family runs from the Roman Quintus to Quintinus, then into French and English forms. A third-century Christian martyr helped establish Quentin in French religious history, and the Normans brought the name to England.

Quintin preserves the same Latin numerical root. Quentin is the closest related spelling; Quintus and Quintinus show earlier forms in the family.

English Quintin has first-syllable stress and is commonly pronounced like Quinton. The written i in its first syllable usually has the sound of the vowel in win, while the final syllable is unstressed.

Quintin Hogg and education

Quintin Hogg was born in 1845, the fourteenth child in his family. After Eton he entered business in London, first working in tea and then in sugar, while developing a separate commitment to education.

His early efforts included teaching some of London’s poorest boys to read near Charing Cross. In 1864 he and Arthur Kinnaird acquired premises for a school serving young female flower sellers from Covent Garden.

The work expanded into the York Place Ragged School. A move to larger premises in 1868 allowed dormitories as well as teaching space, making it possible to offer more than lessons alone.

As the pupils grew older, Hogg wanted the support to continue into working life. His institute combined intellectual, social, sporting, and religious activities rather than treating education as something limited to childhood.

The Regent Street Polytechnic

Hogg bought the former Royal Polytechnic Institution building at 309 Regent Street in 1881; his institute moved there in 1882. The premises provided room for a gymnasium, swimming pool, and other activities alongside classes.

The organization became known as the Polytechnic, and the Regent Street institution developed into an important part of London’s educational landscape. The building was substantially rebuilt in the early twentieth century as demand for teaching space increased.

The later Polytechnic of Central London became the University of Westminster in 1992. Hogg’s name therefore belongs to a history joining voluntary education for working people with a modern university.

This connection gives Quintin a substantial Victorian public bearer whose work is still visible through an institution, its buildings, and its archives.

American popularity

Quintin’s largest annual American male total was 405 in 1997, when it ranked #506. In 2025 it was given to 83 boys and ranked #1,899. The national figures count Quintin separately from Quentin and Quinton, despite their close written and spoken relationships.

How popular is Quintin?

In 2025, Quintin ranked #1,899 among boys in the United States, with 83 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1912; its largest annual count was 405 in 1997. 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.