Find out how popular the last name O'Conner 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'Conner.

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

Popularity of O'Conner in America

O'Conner is the 9048th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Conner surname appeared 3,611 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname O'Conner.

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

The surname O'Conner is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Ó Conchobhair, which means "descendant of Conchobhar." Conchobhar was a popular personal name in ancient Ireland, consisting of the elements "con" meaning hound, and "cobhar" meaning help or assistance.

The name O'Conner is one of the most widespread and prominent surnames in Ireland, particularly associated with the province of Connacht. The O'Conners were a powerful dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of Connacht from the 5th to the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name O'Conner can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair (Turlough O'Conor) as the King of Connacht in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the O'Conners of Connacht played a significant role in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. Felim O'Conor, who ruled from 1233 to 1265, is noted for his resistance against the Norman invaders.

Another notable figure in Irish history was Roderic O'Conor (1116-1198), the last High King of Ireland. He was the last native ruler to claim the title of King of Ireland before the Norman invasion.

During the 16th century, the O'Conners were among the Gaelic Irish families that were dispossessed of their lands and power by the Tudor reconquest of Ireland. However, the name remained prominent and spread throughout Ireland and beyond.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname O'Conner was Thomas O'Conner (1770-1855), a renowned Irish Catholic priest and educator. He founded several schools and colleges in Ireland and played a crucial role in promoting Catholic education.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964), an American novelist and short story writer known for her works exploring moral and religious themes, and Sinéad O'Connor (born 1966), an Irish singer-songwriter known for her powerful vocals and controversial opinions.

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

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

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'Conner 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'Conner 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'Conner 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'Conner, please contact us.

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