Names

Created by Miguel de Cervantes for the main character in his novel Don Quixote (1605), about a nobleman who goes mad after reading too many heroic romances and decides to become a wandering knight under the name Don Quixote. His real name in part one of the book is conjectured to be Quixada or Quesada [1], though in part two (published 10 years after part one) it is revealed as Alonso Quixano [2]. The Spanish suffix -ote means “large”.

Old spelling of Quijano.

Old spelling of Quijada.

Denoted a person from one of the various places of this name in Spain, which may derive from Galician queiroa meaning “heather”.

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cuirc meaning “descendant of Corc”, a given name meaning “heart”.

Variant of Quirke.

Originally indicated someone who lived on a piece of land where the rent was a fifth of its produce, from Spanish and Catalan quintana “fifth”, from Latin quintus.

From various Spanish place names derived from quiñón meaning “shared piece of land”, derived from Latin quinque “five”.

Anglicized form of Irish Ó Cuinn meaning “descendant of Conn”.

From Irish Ó Caoindealbháin, which means “descendant of Caoindealbhán”, a given name meaning “comely form”.