2000
#5,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.08
Rare Last name
Conners
Anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Conchobhair," meaning "descendant of Conchobhar" (a personal name meaning "dog lover" or "wolf lover").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,859 Americans carry the last name Conners. That puts it at #6,402 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,500 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conners 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 Conners with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,500
Census rank
#6,402
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,109 bearers of the surname Conners in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6402nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conners, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conners
The surname Conners is of Irish origin, emerging in the early medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century AD. It is derived from the Gaelic word "condair," which means "hunter" or "archer." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who were skilled in hunting or archery.
The Conners surname is predominantly found in the provinces of Ulster and Connacht in Ireland. The name is particularly prevalent in counties such as Donegal, Sligo, and Mayo. It is believed that the name may have originated in the area around Lough Conn in County Mayo, where a clan or sept known as the Connors or O'Connors resided.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1107, the Annals mention a notable figure named Aedh O'Conner (or Ó Conchobhair), who was the King of Connacht.
Another historical reference to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a collection of medieval Irish chronicles. In the year 1233, the Annals mention a certain Domhnall O'Conner, who was described as the King of Connacht.
In the 14th century, a prominent member of the Conners family was Toirdhealbhach O'Conner (1315-1356), who served as the King of Connacht and is renowned for his patronage of the arts and literature.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as O'Conor, O'Connor, and Conor, reflecting the linguistic variations and anglicization of Irish surnames.
In the 17th century, a notable figure was Hugh O'Conor (1615-1669), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote extensively about the history of Ireland.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Charles O'Conor (1710-1791), a lawyer and antiquarian who made significant contributions to the study of Irish history and literature.
In the 19th century, Roderic O'Conor (1784-1858), an Irish artist, was known for his landscape paintings and his work as a founding member of the Royal Hibernian Academy.
It is worth noting that the name Conners has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Connor in County Antrim, and Conor in County Sligo, further emphasizing its deep roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conners
Among Census respondents with the surname Conners, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Conners 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 Conners surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 4,024
- Black or African American10.7% · 545
- Two or more races4.7% · 241
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 201
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conners
Conners 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
#6,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,528
-76 bearers (-1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.87
Rank movement Down 510 places
2020
#6,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,109
-419 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,680 | 5,604 | 2.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,190 | 5,528 | 1.87 | -76 bearers (-1.4%) | Down 510 places |
| 2020 | #6,402 | 5,109 | 1.71 | -419 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 212 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 Conners 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 | #6,190 | #6,402 | -3.4% |
| Count | 5,528 | 5,109 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.87 | 1.71 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conners bearers went from 5,528 to 5,109 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 212 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,190 to #6,402.
FAQ
Conners surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conners?
Name Census estimates that about 5,859 living Americans carry the surname Conners. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,500 residents.
How common is Conners?
Conners ranks #6,402 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,109 people with the surname Conners. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,859), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Conners.
Has Conners become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conners went from 5,528 recorded bearers to 5,109. That is a decrease of 419 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,190 to #6,402.
What does the Census say about the background of Conners?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conners, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Conners in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (4,024 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conners appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (10.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Conners (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 Conners mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname "O'Conchobhair," meaning "descendant of Conchobhar" (a personal name meaning "dog lover" or "wolf lover"). 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 Conners (1.71 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 share the surname Conners?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.