2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Connair
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Condairé meaning "descendant of the high one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Connair. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Connair 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.
Bearers in the US
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Connair in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Connair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Connair
The surname Connair finds its origins in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands. It is believed to have emerged around the 12th century, derived from the Gaelic words "con" meaning hound or wolf, and "air" meaning slaughter or battle. This suggests the name may have been initially bestowed upon a valiant warrior or hunter known for their fierce prowess in combat or in the pursuit of game.
The earliest known recorded instance of the Connair surname can be traced back to a charter from the year 1296, which mentions a Gillebride Connair from the region of Argyll. This document, part of the National Records of Scotland, provides evidence of the name's presence during the turbulent Wars of Scottish Independence against England.
In the 16th century, the Connair name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a series of medieval records documenting those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One such entry from 1296 lists a Dugal Connair, a landowner from the Isle of Islay in the Hebrides.
The Connair surname has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 17th century, a Callum Connair was a respected chieftain of the Clan MacLean, one of the most powerful clans in the Western Isles. His influence and leadership during the Scottish Civil War earned him recognition in historical accounts of the time.
Another prominent individual bearing the Connair name was Duncan Connair, a renowned poet and bard who lived in the late 18th century. His works, which celebrated the rich culture and traditions of the Highlands, were widely acclaimed and helped preserve the region's oral heritage.
In the realm of Scottish literature, the name Connair is also tied to Alasdair Connair, a prolific writer and scholar who lived from 1822 to 1896. His extensive research and publications on Gaelic language and folklore contributed significantly to the understanding and preservation of Scotland's cultural heritage.
While the Connair surname has deep roots in the Highlands, it has also been found in other parts of Scotland, such as the Lowlands and the Borders region, where it may have been adopted or modified over time due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Connair
Among Census respondents with the surname Connair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Connair 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 Connair surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 4
- Two or more races4.1% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Connair
Connair 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,603 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-10 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 16,603 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 4,737 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 Connair 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 | #151,532 | #156,269 | -3.1% |
| Count | 108 | 98 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Connair bearers went from 108 to 98 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 4,737 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #156,269.
FAQ
Connair surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Connair?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Connair. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Connair?
Connair ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 98 people with the surname Connair. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Connair.
Has Connair become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Connair went from 108 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 10 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Connair?
Among Census respondents with the surname Connair, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Connair in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Connair appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Connair (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 Connair mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Condairé meaning "descendant of the high one". 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 Connair (0.03 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 Connair?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.