Daily AncestorQuill
Quill stood for Aquila in many American records of the 1700s and 1800s.
Quill is a short form of Aquila, a New Testament name, also spelled Aquilla. Nickname lists made for 18th and 19th century research, such as the one from the Connecticut State Library, pair Quill with Aquila.
Do not take Quill and Aquila for two different people too quickly. Compare ages, places and the names of relatives to confirm that both names belong to one man.
As seen in a recordCounty tax list, 1835; his will names him Aquila
Quill Shadwick, 1 poll, 265 acres
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Quill." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/quill. Last checked 2026-10-15.