Find out how popular the last name Connor is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Connor.

Connor, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Connor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Connor in America

Connor is the 1207th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Connor surname appeared 29,346 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Connor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Connor to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Connor

The surname Connor originated from Ireland, with roots dating back to the ancient Gaelic language. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "Ó Conchobhair," which translate to "descendant of Conchobhar." Conchobhar was a personal name meaning "lover of hounds" or "wolfdog," reflecting the importance of hunting and canines in ancient Celtic culture.

The name Connor first appeared in historical records during the Middle Ages, notably in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name was Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair, a 12th-century King of Connacht, a province in western Ireland.

Throughout Irish history, the Connor family held prominent positions and played significant roles in various regions. In the 14th century, Ruaidhri O'Connor was the last King of Connacht before the Norman invasion. The surname was also associated with the O'Connor Sligo dynasty, which ruled the territory of Sligo in northwestern Ireland for centuries.

In the 16th century, the Connor surname gained recognition beyond Ireland's borders. Conn O'Connor, born in 1561, was an Irish military commander who served in the Spanish Army of Flanders during the Eighty Years' War against the Dutch Republic.

Another notable figure was Dennis O'Connor, an Irish-born Catholic priest who lived in the 17th century. He served as the Archbishop of Armagh, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland, from 1672 until his death in 1697.

The Connor surname has also been associated with several prominent figures in more recent centuries. For instance, James Fenimore Cooper, the renowned American novelist, was born in 1789 to a family with Irish roots that included the Connor surname.

In the 20th century, Eugene O'Connor, born in 1888, was an Irish politician and member of the first Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament, representing the Sinn Féin party. He played a significant role in the Irish War of Independence and the subsequent Irish Civil War.

Overall, the surname Connor has a rich history rooted in ancient Irish culture, with numerous notable individuals bearing the name contributing to various aspects of society, from politics and religion to literature and warfare, throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Connor

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Connor.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Connor was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Connor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Connor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Connor, please contact us.

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