2000
#1,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,183
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.22
Uncommon Last name
Connell
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Conaill," meaning "descendant of Conall," a personal name meaning "strong wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,684 Americans carry the last name Connell. That puts it at #1,622 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,886 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Connell 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 Connell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,886
Census rank
#1,622
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,526 bearers of the surname Connell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1622nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Connell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Connell
The surname Connell originated in Ireland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Conghalaigh," which means "descendant of Conghalach." Conghalach was a personal name derived from the Gaelic words "con" meaning hound, and "ghal" meaning valor or bravery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 15th century. The Annals mention a "Conghalach Ua Conghalaigh" who was the chief of the Uí Conghalaigh clan in the 12th century.
The Connell surname is particularly associated with County Donegal in Ulster, where the Uí Conghalaigh clan was based. The name is also found in other parts of Ireland, including Counties Sligo, Mayo, and Galway.
Notable individuals with the surname Connell include:
1. Sir John Connell (1616-1698), an Irish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Donegal.
2. Michael Connell (1804-1879), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
3. Evan Shelby Connell (1924-2013), an American novelist and intellectual known for his works such as "Mrs. Bridge" and "Mr. Bridge."
4. Dermot Connell (born 1950), an Irish former hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team and won two All-Ireland medals.
5. Yvonne Connell (born 1966), a New Zealand former swimmer and Olympic gold medalist in the 200-meter freestyle event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The Connell surname has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, including O'Connell, O'Conghaile, Conghail, and Connel. Some of these variations may have been influenced by anglicization or regional dialects within Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Connell
Among Census respondents with the surname Connell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Connell 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 Connell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 19,205
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 741
- Black or African American3.3% · 717
- Two or more races3.0% · 647
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 157
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Connell
Connell 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
#1,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,552
+369 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 7.65
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#1,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,526
-1,026 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 7.20
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,470 | 22,183 | 8.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,589 | 22,552 | 7.65 | +369 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #1,622 | 21,526 | 7.20 | -1,026 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 33 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 Connell 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 | #1,589 | #1,622 | -2.1% |
| Count | 22,552 | 21,526 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 7.65 | 7.20 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Connell bearers went from 22,552 to 21,526 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,589 to #1,622.
FAQ
Connell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Connell?
Name Census estimates that about 24,684 living Americans carry the surname Connell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,886 residents.
How common is Connell?
Connell ranks #1,622 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,526 people with the surname Connell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,684), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Connell.
Has Connell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Connell went from 22,552 recorded bearers to 21,526. That is a decrease of 1,026 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,589 to #1,622.
What does the Census say about the background of Connell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Connell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Connell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (19,205 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Connell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (3.3%). 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 Connell (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 Connell mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Conaill," meaning "descendant of Conall," a personal name meaning "strong wolf." 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 Connell (7.20 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 common is the surname Connell?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Connell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.