Explore the Family Name Connolly
The meaning of Connolly
Irish and Manx: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conghaile ‘descendant of Conghal’, a name meaning ‘hound valiant’, or of Ó Conghalaigh ‘descendant of Conghalach’, a derivative of Conghal; the two surnames have long been confused. Anglicized Irish forms Conneely, Connealy, Cunneely have arisen where loss of gh has caused lengthening of the second syllable of Conghal: they often also (Connacht) represent shortened forms of McNeilly from Mac Conghaile. Another possible origin is the West Cork name Mac Coingheallaigh (or Ó Coingheallaigh) ‘son (or descendant) of Coingheallach’, a personal name meaning ‘faithful to pledges’. See McNeilly. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Aileen, Bridie, Seamus, Aidan, Dermot, Eamon, Patrick Joseph, Colm, Cormac, Declan, Eoin.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Connolly in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Connolly has seen a slight decrease over time. In 2000, it ranked 1116 in terms of frequency and increased to 1190 in 2010, marking a negative change of 6.63%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Connolly surname rose from 28,821 in 2000 to 29,710 in 2010, indicating a growth of 3.08%. The proportion per 100,000 people also dropped by 5.71%, from 10.68 in 2000 to 10.07 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,116 | #1,190 | -6.63% |
| Count | 28,821 | 29,710 | 3.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.68 | 10.07 | -5.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Connolly
When discussing ethnicity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates some shifts among those bearing the Connolly surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as White decreased slightly from 96.32% to 94.90%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew from 0.56% to 0.71%, while individuals of two or more races increased from 1.02% to 1.23%. There was a significant increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic, growing from 1.28% to 2.11%. Individuals identifying as Black also saw an increase from 0.50% to 0.73%. Lastly, there was a minor decline in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category from 0.33% to 0.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.32% | 94.9% | -1.47% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 2.11% | 64.84% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 1.23% | 20.59% |
| Black | 0.5% | 0.73% | 46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.71% | 26.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.33% | 0.31% | -6.06% |
Connolly 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 Connolly is British & Irish, which comprises 65.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (12.3%) and Italian (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 65.3% |
| French & German | 12.3% |
| Italian | 5.6% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Connolly
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 Connolly have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
What Connolly 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 Connolly 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-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Connelly, Mcdermott, Flaherty, Conley, Duffy, Keenan, Meehan, Mckeon, Conroy, Tierney.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Connolly surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Connolly 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Connolly" Surname 44.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Connolly" Surname 26.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Connolly" Surname 21.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Connolly" Surname 39.9%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Connolly?
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 Connolly are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition