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Cool Baby Names That Start with Q

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Mon Sep 25 2023
Cool Baby Names That Start with Q

Baby names that start with Q are extremely rare in the United States, so if you give one to your child it’s sure to set him or her apart from the crowd. Quinn is the most common Q name for girls and boys by far, although it ranks considerably higher for girls.

Along with Quinn, other cool names that start with Q in the US Top 1000 include Quentin, Quincy, Quinton, and Queen. Many great Arabic names begin with Q, such as Qadir and Qasim, which is more common in England. Q surnames such as Quimby and Quiller also make our list of the coolest options. If you’re searching for a quirky, distinctive name for your child, you may want to consider one that starts with the letter Q. View our hand-curated collection of the coolest baby names with the initial Q, below, ordered by their popularity on Nameberry.

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Names That Start with Q

Cool Unique Names

  1. Quinn

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"

    • Description:

      Quinn is one of the first popular Irish unisex surnames, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. Quinn was used for about 3000 baby girls and 700 boys in the US last year.
  2. Quincy

    • Origin:

      French

    • Meaning:

      "estate of the fifth son"

    • Description:

      Quirky in the way that all Q names are quirky, Quincy was once a buttoned-up, patrician New England name, an image countered in recent years by the talented and ultracool musician Quincy Jones (middle name: Delight; nickname: Q).
  3. Quillan

    • Origin:

      Iris, Zodiac sign of Leo, the lion

    • Meaning:

      "cub"

    • Description:

      If you like Dylan but find it too popular, Quillan could be a distinctive alternative.
  4. Quentin

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "fifth"

    • Description:

      Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.
  5. Quinton

    • Origin:

      English or Latin

    • Meaning:

      "queen's manor; fith"

    • Description:

      Quinton is among several attractive Q-beginning, n-ending two-syllable names for boys, that also includes Quentin (the most popular iteration) and Quenton. They only suffer from their similarity and possible spelling confusion, ala girls' names Kristin, Kirsten and sisters.
  6. Quill

    • Origin:

      Irish, diminutive of Quillan or Quiller; also English word name

    • Description:

      Quill is a unique possibility for the child of writers -- even if they do use computers rather than pens; could also serve as a rhyming tribute to an ancestor named Gil, Phil, or Bill (or Jill).
  7. Quade

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "son of Uaid"

    • Description:

      Quade is a confident, contemporary-sounding name that would fit right in with classmates Cade, Zade, Slade and Jade, boasting the quirky Q-beginning.
  8. Quinlan

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "descendant of Caoinlean, slender "

    • Description:

      An Irish last-name-first-name that could make a child feel distinctive, while still having the regular guy nickname of Quinn. Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller spelled their son's name Quinlin.
  9. Quay

    • Origin:

      French word name

    • Meaning:

      "wharf"

    • Description:

      A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name.
  10. Quince

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "applelike fruit"

    • Description:

      The girls have Apple, Plum, Peaches, Cherry, and Berry: here's one variety of fruit suitable for a boy.
  11. Queenie

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "queen"

    • Description:

      Wisecracking waitress name stuck in the luncheonette. Started as nickname for girls named Regina -- queen in Latin -- now mostly a canine choice.
  12. Quintus

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "fifth"

    • Description:

      A literary name figuring in the story of Ben Hur and the novels of Anthony Trollope that has the feel of Roman antiquity that is beginning to appeal to many parents. Quintus was one of only about twenty male first names in ancient Rome, and was often (though not exclusively) used for fifth sons.
  13. Quigley

    • Origin:

      Irish

    • Meaning:

      "from the mother's side"

    • Description:

      The spoiled only son of the richest family in town in a fifties movie.
  14. Qirin

    • Origin:

      Invented name

    • Description:

      Actor Terrence Howard and wife Miranda created this name for their son inspired by the Chinese mythological creature called the Qilin, a good omen predicting the arrival of a sage or ruler. Pronunciation is like the Irish name Kieran.
  15. Quest

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "seek; mission"

    • Description:

      Cool new Q-starting possibility which suggests a sense of curiosity and purpose.
  16. Queen

    • Origin:

      Word name

    • Meaning:

      "queen"

    • Description:

      Queen has seen a revival in recent times, reaching its record high in 2018 with 280 births — it has remained steady since then. Previously, Queen saw a peak in the 1920s, but its origins go back even further than that. Queen was a noted name among enslaved people in America, along with other royal choices such as Duke, Squire, and Prince.
  17. Quartz

    • Origin:

      Mineral name

    • Description:

      This may be a bit quirky to make it as a name, especially in first place. If you love it, you might try it in the middle.
  18. Quintessa

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "essence"

    • Description:

      Sounds like a fictional rank of royalty.
  19. Quixote

    • Origin:

      Spanish literary name

    • Description:

      Tied to the hero of the classic Spanish novel Don Quixote, likely to produce a quixotic daydreamer.
  20. Querida

    • Origin:

      Spanish

    • Meaning:

      "dear, beloved"

    • Description:

      Loving choice.