Cona
A feminine Scottish name meaning "bright" or "brilliant."
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Cona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cona today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cona births was 1925 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cona. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Cona is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Conas were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cona. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1925
8 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1941 SSA rank
#4,049
Tracked since 1902
Popularity
Cona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cona from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 25 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cona by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Conas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Cona
The name Cona is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic language, with roots dating back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is derived from the word "con," which means hound or wolf, and is often associated with strength, loyalty, and guardianship.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Cona can be found in the ancient Irish epic, the Táin Bó Cúailnge, which dates back to the 8th century AD. This epic tale features a character named Cona, who was a fierce warrior and protector of his people.
In the 12th century, Cona mac Murchadha was a prominent Irish cleric and scholar who served as the Archbishop of Armagh and is remembered for his contributions to the preservation of Irish literature and culture.
During the 16th century, Cona O'Donnell was a renowned Irish chieftain and leader of the O'Donnell clan in Ulster. He played a significant role in the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland, and his bravery and strategic prowess earned him a place in the annals of Irish history.
In the 19th century, Cona MacCoull was a Scottish historian and author who published several works on the history and culture of the Scottish Highlands. His book, "The Clans of the Scottish Highlands," published in 1845, is considered a seminal work on the subject.
Another notable figure with the name Cona was Cona O'Riordan, an Irish revolutionary and socialist activist who fought for Irish independence in the early 20th century. She was a member of the Irish Citizens Army and played a crucial role in the Easter Rising of 1916.
While the name Cona may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and association with strength, loyalty, and guardianship continue to resonate with those who bear this ancient Irish moniker.
People
Cona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cona as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cona going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Cona a common name?
We classify Cona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cona most popular?
The single biggest year for Cona was 1925, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cona is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cona in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cona in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cona can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Cona?
Want to know how many Americans are named Cona? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.