2000
#7,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.56
Rare Last name
Conlin
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Caoindealbháin," meaning "descendant of Caoindealbhán," a personal name meaning "fair-shaped."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,699 Americans carry the last name Conlin. That puts it at #7,772 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,942 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conlin 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 Conlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,942
Census rank
#7,772
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,098 bearers of the surname Conlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7772nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conlin
The surname Conlin is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the 7th century. It is an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name O'Conallan or O'Conaleen, which means "descendant of the wolf." The name is believed to have originated in County Galway, where it was common among families in the region.
Historically, the name Conlin has been recorded in various forms, including Conallan, Conlan, and Connollan. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. It mentions a figure named Conallan, who was a leader of the Uí Fiachrach Aidne clan in the 8th century.
In the 11th century, the Conlin name was associated with a notable family in County Mayo. Records from this time indicate that a prominent figure named Conallan O'Conallan held a significant position within the local community. Additionally, the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a collection of administrative records from the 13th century, which mentions a person named Richard Conlyne.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Conlin surname in its modern spelling can be traced back to the 16th century. In 1543, a document from the Chancery Rolls in Ireland mentions a person named John Conlyn. Another notable figure from this era was Robert Conlin, a landowner and merchant from County Antrim, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Throughout history, several individuals with the Conlin surname have gained recognition in various fields. One notable example is John Conlin (1803-1888), an Irish-born American Catholic priest who served as the first Bishop of Milwaukee. Another prominent figure was William Conlin (1866-1940), an American journalist and newspaper editor who worked for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.
In the realm of literature, Francis Conlin (1891-1969) was an Irish-born American author and academic who wrote extensively on Irish literature and culture. Additionally, John Conlin (1927-2012) was a renowned American composer and music educator, best known for his contributions to choral music.
The Conlin name has also been associated with notable figures in sports. For instance, Jesse Conlin (born 1986) is an American professional baseball player who has played for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Conlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Conlin 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 Conlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 3,872
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 94
- Two or more races2.1% · 86
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conlin
Conlin 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
#7,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,409
+199 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 243 places
2020
#7,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,098
-311 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 230 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,299 | 4,210 | 1.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,542 | 4,409 | 1.49 | +199 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 243 places |
| 2020 | #7,772 | 4,098 | 1.37 | -311 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 230 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 Conlin 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 | #7,542 | #7,772 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,409 | 4,098 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.37 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conlin bearers went from 4,409 to 4,098 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 230 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,542 to #7,772.
FAQ
Conlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conlin?
Name Census estimates that about 4,699 living Americans carry the surname Conlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,942 residents.
How common is Conlin?
Conlin ranks #7,772 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,098 people with the surname Conlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,699), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Conlin.
Has Conlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conlin went from 4,409 recorded bearers to 4,098. That is a decrease of 311 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,542 to #7,772.
What does the Census say about the background of Conlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Conlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (3,872 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (2.3%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Conlin (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 Conlin mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Caoindealbháin," meaning "descendant of Caoindealbhán," a personal name meaning "fair-shaped." 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 Conlin (1.37 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 are called Conlin?
See how many Americans have the surname Conlin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.