Q: the rarest letter and the names that make it count
Q is so uncommon that choosing a Q name is a small act of individuality. It began as the Phoenician qoph, passed through Greek and into Latin, and settled into English almost always followed by u, as in queen and quick. That partnership means most Q names carry a "kw" sound. In the United States, Quinn has climbed into the girls' top 100 in recent years, while most other Q names stay rare.
Where Q names come from
Irish leads the English-speaking Q names. Quinn means "wise", and Quinlan and Quillan are Irish too. Latin gives us Quentin, which means fifth, and English gives us Quincy and Quinton, both surname-style names. Norse offers Quenby, meaning "woman's homestead", a vintage rarity.
The letter also appears in names from further afield. Chinese has Qing (clear), Qiao (skilful) and Qiang (strong). Arabic has Qamar (moon), Qasim and Qadir. Quanah was the name of the Comanche leader Quanah Parker and means fragrance.
Saying Q correctly
Pronunciation can trip people up, so it helps to know the rules. In Mandarin pinyin, Q sounds like "ch", so Qing is said "ching". In Arabic, the letter qaf is a deep "k" made at the back of the throat, so Qamar begins further back than the English K. For English Q names, the "kw" sound is the rule, and nicknames such as Quin or Quill are easy and fun.
Q names worth a closer look
- Quenby
A rare Norse name that sounds regal and nearly never gets mistaken for another.
- Qamar
An Arabic name for the moon, used for any child.
- Quanah
A Comanche name with a sweet meaning and a strong modern ring.
- Quincy
A friendly, surname-style boy name with an old-fashioned warmth.
- Qiao
A Chinese name meaning skilful, short and elegant.
Famous people whose first names start with Q
- Quincy Jones, the producer and composer behind Michael Jackson's Thriller
- Quentin Tarantino, the film director of Pulp Fiction
- Quvenzhané Wallis, became the youngest Best Actress Oscar nominee at age nine
- Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of unified China
- Qiu Jin, the Chinese revolutionary, poet and early feminist
- Quanah Parker, the Comanche leader and last chief of the Quahadi band
Questions about Q names
How do you pronounce the Chinese name Qing?
It sounds like "ching". In pinyin, the letter Q is pronounced like "ch" in "cheese".
Is Quinn a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. Quinn is an Irish surname that has become a popular unisex first name.