Quinlan

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An Irish-origin family name carried by many people, including a well-known American woman whose 1970s court case over life support drew wide attention
2. A surname of Irish descent, borne by various individuals, most famously an American woman whose 1970s legal battle over life-sustaining treatment became national news
3. A family name of Irish origin shared by numerous people, notably an American woman whose 1970s case about withdrawing life support was widely publicized

Etymology: Quinlan is an Irish surname rather than a word with a long dictionary history, and its interest lies in the fact that one spelling hides two different Irish families. The name comes from Ó Caoinleáin, a shortened form of Ó Caoindealbháin, "descendant of Caoindealbhán." That personal name is built from "caoin," meaning delicate or refined, "dealbh," meaning shape, and the diminutive ending "-án." The name also has a second source. In its anglicized form, Quinlan is a shortened version of Ó Conalláin, "descendant of Conallán," a diminutive of Conall, the same root behind the surname Connell. Because the two Irish originals sound alike in English spelling, the modern surname can belong to families with unrelated ancestry.