Explore the Family Name Connelly

The meaning of Connelly

Irish: variant of Connolly. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Kieran, Brendan, Brennan, Eamon, Maeve, Murphy, Paddy.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Connelly in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Connelly shifted between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked the 1443rd most common surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had slipped to the 1537th position, marking a decrease of 6.51%. However, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 22,747 in 2000 to 23,398 in 2010, a growth of 2.86%. This indicates that although the rank of the surname Connelly dropped, the total number of people bearing it increased.

20002010Change
Rank#1,443#1,537-6.51%
Count22,74723,3982.86%
Proportion per 100k8.437.93-5.93%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Connelly

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals diverse backgrounds among those with the surname Connelly. The majority identify as White, although this group experienced a slight dip from 93.63% in 2000 to 91.99% in 2010. Ethnic identities showing notable increases include Asian/Pacific Islander, which grew by 44.68%, and Hispanic, which rose by 46.25%. Those identifying as two or more races also increased by 28.97%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a rise of 31.82%. The proportion of Black individuals with the surname Connelly increased slightly by 8.60% over the ten-year period.

20002010Change
White93.63%91.99%-1.75%
Black2.79%3.03%8.6%
Hispanic1.6%2.34%46.25%
Two or More Races1.07%1.38%28.97%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.47%0.68%44.68%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0.58%31.82%

Connelly ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Connelly is British & Irish, which comprises 60.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.9%) and Eastern European (5.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish60.9%
French & German16.9%
Eastern European5.9%
Other16.4%
Connelly

Possible origins of the surname Connelly

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Connelly have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom88.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom88.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom88.70%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom88.70%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom88.20%

What Connelly haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Connelly is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-A260 and R-M222, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Connolly, Conley, Keenan, Mckeon, Mcdermott, Duffy, Meehan, Mccarty, Mccue, Devine.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Connelly surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

connellyPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Connelly have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Connelly

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Connelly" Surname 46.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Connelly

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Connelly" Surname 26.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Connelly

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Connelly" Surname 21.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Connelly

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"Connelly" Surname 37.9%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Connelly?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Connelly are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%