Irish surnames are mostly based on the
Gaelic language native to
Ireland. The original Gaelic form of the name Quinlivan is Ó Caoinleain or Ó Caoindealbhain. Spelling variations of this family name include:
Quinlan,
O'Quinlan,
O'Quinlevan,
O'Quinlivan and many more. First found in
County Meath, where the family name has held a family seat from very ancient times. In the province
Leinster Quinlivan was usually anglicised as Kindellan and has now been absorbed into the more common forms of
Connellan or
Conlan. They were of distinguished origin, being of the southern
Uí Néill and the senior line of the descendants of
Lóegaire mac Néill,
King of Tara during the time of
Saint Patrick. The
sept were originally to be found in Meath (pronounced Mee), but their numbers were greatly reduced by the
Anglo-Norman invasion, but they remained in that area until the defeat of
James II. In that time the form of the name used in Meath was Kindellan, a name which has been retained in
Spain where many members of the sept settled in exile. The branch of the family which settled in northern
Tipperary were known as
Quinlan in
English. In the 1659 census they were noted as being one of the most numerous families in
County Tipperary. The name is now almost confined to
Munster, particularly counties
Cork,
Limerick and Tipperary. The variant spelling of "Quinlivan" is most associated with
County Clare, as evidenced by the 13 births recorded there in the 1890 index. "
Quinlin" was given as a principal name of Tipperary in the census of 1659, and Quinlan remained as the favored spelling of the name in 1890 with counties Tipperary and
Kerry being centers for the name at that time.
Kindlon is also said to be a variant spelling of the name in
County Louth. ==America==