2000
#12,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,342
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Connally
Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Conghalaigh," meaning "descendant of Conghalach," derived from "conghal," meaning "valor" or "bravery."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,501 Americans carry the last name Connally. That puts it at #13,364 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Connally 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 Connally with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,047
Census rank
#13,364
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,181 bearers of the surname Connally in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13364th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Connally, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Connally
The surname Connally has its origins in Ireland, and it is believed to have emerged sometime around the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname "O'Connalláin," which means "descendant of Connallán." Connallán was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "con," meaning "hound," and "all," meaning "mighty" or "powerful."
The Connally surname is primarily associated with County Longford in the Irish Midlands, where it was most prevalent. However, bearers of this name can also be found in other parts of Ireland, particularly in the neighboring counties of Westmeath and Cavan.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Connally surname dates back to the 14th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals reference an individual named Connallán Ó Connalláin, who was a notable figure in County Longford during that time.
In the 16th century, the Connally surname was anglicized from its original Gaelic form, leading to various spellings such as Connally, Connelly, and Connolly. This occurred as a result of the English administration's efforts to standardize Irish surnames.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Connally surname:
1. John Connally (1917-1993), an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Texas and was present during the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
2. Sir Michael Connally (1539-1609), an English politician and courtier who served as the Lord Privy Seal under Queen Elizabeth I.
3. James Connally (1843-1928), an Irish-American labor leader and one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
4. Evan Shelby Connally (1844-1917), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 14th Governor of New Mexico Territory.
5. John Connally (1923-2014), an American actor and film producer, best known for his roles in films such as "The Untouchables" and "The Godfather Part III."
The Connally surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Ireland. For example, the townland of Connally in County Longford is believed to have derived its name from the surname itself.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Connally
Among Census respondents with the surname Connally, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Connally 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 Connally surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.6% · 1,605
- Black or African American15.2% · 332
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 108
- Two or more races4.8% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Connally
Connally 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
#12,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,451
+109 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 430 places
2020
#13,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,181
-270 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 737 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,197 | 2,342 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,627 | 2,451 | 0.83 | +109 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 430 places |
| 2020 | #13,364 | 2,181 | 0.73 | -270 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 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 Connally 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 | #12,627 | #13,364 | -5.8% |
| Count | 2,451 | 2,181 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.73 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Connally bearers went from 2,451 to 2,181 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 737 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,627 to #13,364.
FAQ
Connally surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Connally?
Name Census estimates that about 2,501 living Americans carry the surname Connally. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,047 residents.
How common is Connally?
Connally ranks #13,364 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,181 people with the surname Connally. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Connally.
Has Connally become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Connally went from 2,451 recorded bearers to 2,181. That is a decrease of 270 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,627 to #13,364.
What does the Census say about the background of Connally?
Among Census respondents with the surname Connally, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.6%. The next largest groups are Black (15.2%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Connally in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.6% (1,605 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Connally appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.6%), Black (15.2%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Connally (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 Connally mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname "Ó Conghalaigh," meaning "descendant of Conghalach," derived from "conghal," meaning "valor" or "bravery." 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 Connally (0.73 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 Connally?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.