2000
#1,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,747
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.43
Uncommon Last name
Connelly
Descendant of Conghaile, an Irish name meaning "fierce as a hound" or "descending from a hound."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,299 Americans carry the last name Connelly. That puts it at #1,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,548 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Connelly 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 Connelly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,548
Census rank
#1,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,062 bearers of the surname Connelly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Connelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Connelly
The surname Connelly originates from Ireland, deriving from the Gaelic O'Conghalaigh sept, which translates to "descendant of Conghalach." The name Conghalach itself means "valorous" or "brave" in Irish. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 11th century in County Leinster, though it is believed to have roots stretching further back into ancient Irish history.
The Connelly surname is an anglicized version of the original Gaelic form, with various spelling variations appearing throughout history, such as O'Connelly, O'Connolly, and Connolly. These variations were often influenced by regional accents and dialects within Ireland. In the 16th and 17th centuries, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Irish families adopted anglicized versions of their surnames for political and social reasons.
One of the earliest known references to the Connelly name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. Here, the name Conghalach is mentioned in connection with events dating back to the 11th century. Additionally, the name appears in various Irish manuscripts and records from the 12th to 16th centuries, further solidifying its historical presence.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Connelly surname throughout history are:
1. John Connelly (c. 1610-1660), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
2. William Connelly (1786-1869), an Irish-American politician and industrialist who served as the fourth Governor of New Mexico Territory.
3. Marc Connelly (1890-1980), an American playwright and director, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning play "The Green Pastures."
4. Jennifer Connelly (born 1970), an American actress who won an Academy Award for her role in the film "A Beautiful Mind."
5. Billy Connelly (born 1942), a Scottish comedian, musician, and actor, widely regarded as one of the most influential stand-up comedians of his generation.
The Connelly surname has maintained a strong presence throughout Ireland and has also spread to various parts of the world due to Irish emigration. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic tradition, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Connelly
Among Census respondents with the surname Connelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Connelly 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 Connelly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 19,723
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 742
- Black or African American3.0% · 660
- Two or more races2.8% · 617
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 187
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 133
Timeline
Historical Census data for Connelly
Connelly 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
#1,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,398
+651 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 7.93
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,062
-1,336 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 7.38
Rank movement Down 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,443 | 22,747 | 8.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,537 | 23,398 | 7.93 | +651 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,587 | 22,062 | 7.38 | -1,336 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 50 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 Connelly 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 | #1,537 | #1,587 | -3.3% |
| Count | 23,398 | 22,062 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.93 | 7.38 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Connelly bearers went from 23,398 to 22,062 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,537 to #1,587.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Connelly
FAQ
Connelly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Connelly?
Name Census estimates that about 25,299 living Americans carry the surname Connelly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,548 residents.
How common is Connelly?
Connelly ranks #1,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.38 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 22,062 people with the surname Connelly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,299), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.38 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 Connelly.
Has Connelly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Connelly went from 23,398 recorded bearers to 22,062. That is a decrease of 1,336 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,537 to #1,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Connelly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Connelly, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (3.0%). 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 Connelly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (19,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Connelly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (3.0%). 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 Connelly (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 Connelly mean?
Descendant of Conghaile, an Irish name meaning "fierce as a hound" or "descending from a hound." 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 Connelly (7.38 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 Connelly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.