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

Connors, 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 Connors surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Connors in America

Connors is the 1823rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Connors surname appeared 19,637 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Connors.

We can also compare 2010 data for Connors 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 Connors

The surname Connors has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name "Ó Conchobhair," which means "descendant of Conchobhar." The name Conchobhar itself is derived from the Old Irish words "con" meaning hound and "cobhar" meaning help or favor, implying someone who was favored by hounds or a skilled hunter.

Connors is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname Connor. In ancient Irish manuscripts and records, the name has been written as Ó Conchobhair, O'Conor, O'Connor, and various other spellings reflecting regional dialects and scribal preferences.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Connors can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled by Franciscan monks in the 17th century. The annals mention several notable figures with the surname Connors or its variant spellings, including Ruaidhri Ó Conchobhair (Rory O'Connor), the last High King of Ireland, who reigned from 1166 to 1198.

In the 14th century, the Connors were among the most powerful families in the Irish province of Connacht, where they ruled as Kings of Connacht and held significant influence and territories. Several place names in Ireland, such as Connaught (the anglicized version of Connacht) and Roscommon, are believed to be derived from the surname Connors or its variants.

Notable individuals with the surname Connors throughout history include:

1. Charles Connors (1856-1945), an American baseball player and manager in the late 19th century.
2. Marcus Aurelius Connors (1809-1877), an Irish-born American soldier who fought in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.
3. Patrick Connors (1887-1957), an Irish-born American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.
4. William Connors (1870-1944), an American politician who served as the 47th Governor of Rhode Island from 1939 to 1943.
5. John Connors (1785-1855), an Irish-born American businessman and pioneer who helped establish the city of Springfield, Illinois.

The surname Connors has a rich history rooted in ancient Irish culture, with its origins linked to powerful families, rulers, and notable figures across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Connors

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

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 Connors 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 Connors 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 Connors was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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