Quirke is an Irish family name which has spread throughout the English-speaking world.
The name is most common in County Tipperary and County Limerick.[1] It is believed that the name was given to a small clan when they fought bravely with Olchobar, the king of Cashel, against the Vikings at Cork.
The name "Quirke" is an Anglicized form of the Irish name of "Cuirc," which comes from the Irish language 'croí', meaning 'heart' or 'bravery'.[2] Before the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169, the Quirke clan ruled over a considerable territory in the barony of Clanwilliam in the southwest of County Tipperary, known as Maigh Cuirc, the plain of the Quirkes.
Due to the specific incidences of the name in Ireland, there is no evidence which supports claims that the name is related either to a similar Manx name or the Scottish name 'Kirk'.
Various spellings:
Quirk, O'Quirk, O'Quirke
Related names:
Quick
Oates: arising from a mistaken Anglicisation of the Irish 'coirce', meaning 'oats.'Oates could be realated as some close families in SW Ireland had the Oates or Quirke within the same blood relatives.