Quigley Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Quigley last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Quigley last name
Meaning of the Quigley last name: descendant of Coigleach ("untidy"). Quigley comes from the Gaelic Ó Coigligh, from a word usually explained as "untidy" or "unkempt". The family belonged first to County Mayo, and the name later spread to Sligo, Donegal, Derry and Wexford. It is now most common in Donegal, Derry and Dublin. A curious detail: many Irish surnames began as frank nicknames like this one, which hints at a memorable ancestor with wild hair rather than any insult to the family.
Arms associated with the Quigley name
In Ireland, arms were often shown with a motto in Irish or Latin, and the Quigley name shares in that long, proud tradition.
Get your full Quigley family history
This is only a glimpse of the Quigley story. The full Quigley history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Quigley coat of arms. Get the full Quigley report.
Quigley name FAQ
What does the Quigley name mean?
Descendant of Coigleach ("untidy"). Common variants include Quigly, O'Quigley, Cogley.
Where does the Quigley surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Scotland.
Is there a Quigley coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Quigley coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.