This surname was adopted by several distinct septs:
A sept of the Cineúl Eoghain who established themselves in Clanndeboy in the present Antrim during the fourteenth century.
A sept of the Cineúl Eoghain in Magh Itha, now comprised in the barony of North Raphoe in Donegal.
O'Duggan writing in the early part of the fourteenth century referred to :
who defend the confines;
delightful their habits in every church; ...
The brave O'Cuinn and O'Cionaths.µ
In the 1850's there were 176 Quinn households in County Donegal; the largest concentration being in the parish of Donaghmore (35); followed by the parish of Inishkeel (23).
My great-grandfather William Quin a scutcher of flax lived in Gobnascale, and his father Daniel died in 1871 in nearby Callan.
A sept of the Cineúl Eoghain, who inhabited that part of Tôr Eoghain, in the barony of Loughshilon now in County Derry.
A sept who were chiefs of Magh Lughadh and Sôol Chathasaigh in Antrim.
A sept of Thuas Mhumhan (Thomond), also found in Tipperary a branch of the Dúl gCais, descended from Conn, lords of Muintir Iferainn, originally seated at Inchiquin.
A sept of Anghaile (Annaly), a branch of the Conmhaicne and of the same stock as O'Fearghail (O'Farrells), who were chiefs of Muintir Ghiollagúin, an extensive district in Longford until they were displaced by the O'Fearghail.
A sept known as the Clan Chuain of Uô Fiachrach (Sligo and north Mayo). During the twelfth century they transferred their allegiance to Mac Diarmada (MacDermott) of Moylurg.
A sept of Ui Fiachrach,who were chiefs of Cøil Chearnadha.
A sept of Tôr Amhalgaidh, now the barony of Tirawley in County Mayo, who were Chiefs of Dun Fine, now Dunfeeny, nine miles north-west of Killalla.
A sept of the race of Laeghaire, of the same stock as the O'Morúin (O'Moran) who were chiefs of an area around Ballycong, near Ballymore Lough in the parish of Attymas, in the barony of Gallen.
At the close of the fourteenth century an O'Neill took the name Quinn and his descendants settled in Galway.
The surname has been in Dublin for the past four hundred years and amongst its bearers have been a tutor to the Scottish royal family, a Lord Mayor and a famous actor.
The surname has been in County Wicklow since at least the seventeenth century and in 1854 there were 53 Quinn households.