Swedish surname. Can also be spelled Sandqvist which is a newer spelling form. Sand means sand and quist (today in Swedish spelled kvist) means twig. Sandkvist is the 474:th most common surname in Sweden* Surnames ending with -quist is quite common in Sweden, e.g. Sundquist, Sjöquist, Nordkvist. *http://spraakbanken.gu.se/lb/statistik/lbenamnalf.phtml (publishing date not known)