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

O'Connell, 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 O'Connell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Connell in America

O'Connell is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Connell surname appeared 104 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname O'Connell.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Connell 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 O'Connell

The surname OCONELL is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Conaill, which originated in County Donegal, Ireland, in the early Middle Ages. The name derives from the Old Irish personal name Conall, meaning "strong as a wolf" or "wolf-ruler."

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of the Four Masters, which are chronicles of medieval Irish history. In these records, members of the Ó Conaill family are mentioned as leaders and chieftains in the region now known as County Donegal.

One notable early bearer of the name was Niall Ó Conaill, who was a Lord of Tír Conaill (the ancient name for County Donegal) in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the struggles against the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland during that time.

Another prominent figure was Cormac Ó Conaill, a 16th-century Gaelic lord and chief of the Ó Conaill clan. He was involved in conflicts with the English forces in Ulster during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Hugh O'Connell, a descendant of the Ó Conaill clan, was a renowned officer in the Irish Confederate Wars. He fought against the English parliamentary forces during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

The name OCONELL also appears in various historical records associated with place names in County Donegal, such as Ballyoconnell and Killyoconnell, which are derived from the Irish Baile Uí Chonaill and Cill Uí Chonaill, respectively, meaning "townland of the Ó Conaill clan."

Other notable bearers of the name include Sir Maurice O'Connell, a 19th-century Irish politician and judge, and Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), a renowned Irish political leader and champion of Catholic emancipation, who became known as "The Liberator."

Throughout its history, the surname OCONELL has maintained a strong connection to its Irish roots, reflecting the legacy of the Ó Conaill clan and their influential role in the history of County Donegal and Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Connell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Connell.

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 O'Connell 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 O'Connell 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 O'Connell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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