Explore the Family Name O'Connell
The meaning of O'Connell
Irish (Munster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conaill ‘descendant of Conall’, a personal name, probably composed of the elements con (genitive of cú ‘hound’ or ‘wolf’) + gal ‘valor’. It was borne by many early chieftains and warriors of Ireland, including the Ulster hero Conall Cearnach, one of the two sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who gave his name to Tirconell, otherwise known as Donegal. It was further popularized by the fame of a 7th-century Irish saint, abbot of Inis Caoil. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Liam, Donal, Finbarr, Malachy, Seamus, William Sean, Aileen, Aisling, Brian Patrick, Colm, Dermot.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name O'Connell in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname O'Connell maintained a steady popularity between 2000 and 2010. The surname ranked as the 886th most popular in both years, with no recorded change. Moreover, the count of individuals carrying the O'Connell surname remained consistent at 35,610 for both census years. The proportion per 100,000 people also remained stable at 13.2.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #886 | #886 | 0% |
| Count | 35,610 | 35,610 | 0% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.2 | 13.2 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O'Connell
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the O'Connell surname identify as White—96.43% in both 2000 and 2010. Other ethnic identities associated with the O'Connell surname include Hispanic at 1.45%, those identifying with two or more races at 1.12%, Asian/Pacific Islander at 0.5%, Black at 0.29%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native at 0.20%. These percentages were stable between 2000 and 2010, showing no significant shifts in the ethnic identities associated with the O'Connell surname during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.43% | 96.43% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.45% | 1.45% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.12% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0% |
| Black | 0.29% | 0.29% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0% |
O'Connell 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 O'Connell is British & Irish, which comprises 63.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.8%) and Eastern European (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 63.0% |
| French & German | 14.8% |
| Eastern European | 5.6% |
| Other | 16.6% |
Possible origins of the surname O'Connell
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 O'Connell have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
What O'Connell 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 O'Connell is R-A151, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A151 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-A726, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lightfoot, Connell, Givens, Obrien, O'Brien, Batten, O'Connor, Connor.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with O'Connell surname are: H1, H, V. 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 O'Connell 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.
"O'Connell" Surname 45.4%
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.
"O'Connell" Surname 25.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"O'Connell" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"O'Connell" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name O'Connell?
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 O'Connell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition