How to say it
QUINN
/kwɪn/
Unisex
Quinn
Descendant of Conn
What it means
Anglicized Irish surname Ó Cuinn, 'descendant of Conn' (Conn meaning 'chief' or 'wise'). One of the cleanest unisex surname-firsts.
Quinn comes from the Irish surname Ó Cuinn, 'descendant of Conn.' Conn was an Old Irish name meaning 'chief' or 'wise' (Conn of the Hundred Battles was a legendary high king of Ireland). The surname Quinn jumped to first-name use in the US in the 1990s and accelerated as a unisex pick in the 2010s; Glee's Quinn Fabray (2009) made it widely visible for girls. As a single-syllable surname-first it slots neatly next to Riley, Reese, and Sage. No common nickname.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #73 in 2022, currently #97 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #259 in 2009, currently #467 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Quinn is the dominant spelling; Quinne and Quynn appear occasionally. The single Q-spelling without the silent E is the clean adult form.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Quinn Fabray Glee's head cheerleader, played by Dianna Agron
- Anthony Quinn Mexican-American actor (Quinn as surname), Zorba the Greek
Spelling variants
- Quincy
- Quintin
Names with the same feeling
See Quinn from another angle
By style