Find out how popular the last name Conlan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Conlan.

Conlan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Conlan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Conlan in America

Conlan is the 14062nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Conlan surname appeared 2,141 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Conlan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Conlan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Conlan

The surname Conlan is primarily of Irish origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name "O Conghalaigh," which means "descendant of Conghalach." Conghalach was a personal name derived from the Old Irish words "con" (hound) and "gal" (valor), essentially translating to "valorous hound" or "brave warrior."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, where it was primarily concentrated in the counties of Galway and Mayo in the western part of Ireland. Some of the earliest documented references to the name include entries in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Conolan, Connolan, and Connollan, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era. It is worth noting that the Conlan surname shares a common ancestry with the more prevalent Connolly surname, as both stem from the same root name, Conghalach.

One notable figure associated with the surname was Felim Conlan, an Irish chieftain who lived in the late 16th century and was involved in the Nine Years' War against English rule in Ireland. Another historical figure was John Conlan, a 17th-century Irish Catholic priest who was executed for his faith during the Irish Confederate Wars.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence in Ulster, particularly in counties Antrim and Down. One prominent bearer of the name from this period was James Conlan, a United Irishman and rebel leader who participated in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

As the Irish diaspora spread around the world, the Conlan surname traveled with it. In the 19th century, notable individuals with the surname included Michael Conlan, an Irish-American politician who served as the Mayor of Savannah, Georgia, from 1869 to 1870, and Patrick Conlan, an Irish immigrant to Australia who became a successful businessman and landowner in the colony of New South Wales.

Throughout its history, the Conlan surname has maintained a strong association with its Irish roots, reflecting the resilience of cultural identity and the enduring legacy of personal names passed down through generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Conlan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Conlan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Conlan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Conlan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Conlan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Conlan, please contact us.

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