2000
#13,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Conboy
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conbuidhe," meaning "son of the yellow hound."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,310 Americans carry the last name Conboy. That puts it at #14,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conboy surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Conboy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,379
Census rank
#14,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,014 bearers of the surname Conboy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conboy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conboy
The surname Conboy is of Irish origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era in Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "cún" meaning hound or wolf, and "buidhe" meaning yellow or tawny, suggesting a connection to a person with a yellowish or tawny complexion or hair color resembling that of a wolf or hound.
The name is thought to have emerged in County Sligo, located in the northwestern region of Ireland. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a renowned chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the early 17th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Conboy was Tadhg Conboy, a prominent landowner and chieftain who lived in County Sligo during the 14th century. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the region for several generations.
In the 16th century, historical records mention a Seán Conboy, a skilled warrior who fought alongside the renowned Irish chieftain Red Hugh O'Donnell during the Nine Years' War against English forces in Ireland.
During the 17th century, the Conboy family faced difficulties due to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland and the subsequent Plantation of Ulster, which saw many Irish landowners dispossessed of their lands. However, some Conboy families managed to retain their holdings, and the name continued to be prevalent in County Sligo and surrounding areas.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure was Patrick Conboy, a successful merchant and landowner from County Sligo who played a significant role in the development of the town of Ballymote.
Throughout the 19th century, several members of the Conboy family were involved in various professions, including law, education, and the clergy. One such individual was Reverend Michael Conboy, a prominent Catholic priest who served as the parish priest of Ballymote in the mid-19th century.
As the centuries progressed, the Conboy surname spread beyond its original homeland in County Sligo, with members of the family migrating to other parts of Ireland, as well as to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, where they contributed to the rich tapestry of Irish diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conboy
Among Census respondents with the surname Conboy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Conboy bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Conboy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 1,840
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 90
- Two or more races3.1% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 17
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conboy
Conboy appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,115
-33 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,126 places
2020
#14,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,014
-101 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,071 | 2,148 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,197 | 2,115 | 0.72 | -33 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 1,126 places |
| 2020 | #14,292 | 2,014 | 0.67 | -101 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 95 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Conboy surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,197 | #14,292 | -0.7% |
| Count | 2,115 | 2,014 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.67 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conboy bearers went from 2,115 to 2,014 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,197 to #14,292.
FAQ
Conboy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conboy?
Name Census estimates that about 2,310 living Americans carry the surname Conboy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,379 residents.
How common is Conboy?
Conboy ranks #14,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,014 people with the surname Conboy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Conboy.
Has Conboy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conboy went from 2,115 recorded bearers to 2,014. That is a decrease of 101 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,197 to #14,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Conboy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conboy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Conboy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conboy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Conboy (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Conboy mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Conbuidhe," meaning "son of the yellow hound." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Conboy (0.67 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Conboy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.