Quirk
A Manx and Irish surname most often understood as a short form of Mac Cuirc, meaning “son of Corc.”
The #5,443 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,302 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Quirk is usually explained as a shortened form of the Gaelic surname Mac Cuirc, meaning “son of Corc.” The personal name Corc is an old Irish name, and some 19th-century writers connected it with a word for a knife, though that deeper explanation is less certain than the basic patronymic sense. In English records the name appears in many spellings, including McQuyrke, Queerke, and Quark, before settling as Quirk.
History
The name is especially associated with the Isle of Man, where it was long common in earlier forms such as Quark and Mac Quirk. Historical surname books note that Quirk eventually became the usual spelling, with Quark fading in everyday use. In Britain and later in North America, the surname spread beyond Manx families through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname sources specifically note that Quark was once the commoner Manx form before Quirk became more usual.
From the historical record
“century Latin charter as Cwentun. QUIRK (Celt.) for the Manx and Irish Mac Cuirc = Son of Corc [Ir. mac, son -f- cuirc, genit. of corc, a knife] QUIXLEY (Eng.) Bel. to Quixley = Quick's Lea [v. under Quick, and -|- M.E. Uy, O.E. ledhl The Quixley referred to in the i4tn”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)