Quince

Meaning & origin

Quince is a rare given name in the United States. First recorded in 1884, it reached its peak popularity in 1905, when it appeared as the 8910th most common name. After a long period of obscurity, the name has been rising in use since 1995, reflecting a broader trend toward short, nature-inspired names. Today, approximately 1 in 213,510 newborns are named Quince, making it an uncommon but recognizable choice. The name has no strong regional associations, as it has not appeared among the top states in recent decades. Its appeal may lie in its fruit association or its connection to the Latin root for 'fifth', giving it a sense of natural simplicity and numeric tradition.

Quince is primarily an English name that may have originated as a surname or a transferred use of the fruit name, which comes from Old French 'cooin' via Latin 'cotoneum'. Alternatively, it could be a variant of the Roman name Quintus, meaning 'fifth', traditionally given to the fifth-born child. The name saw modest use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a peak in 1905, and has recently seen a revival among parents seeking short, uncommon names.