Explore the Family Name O'Connor
The meaning of O'Connor
Irish (especially Munster): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conchobhair ‘descendant of Conchobhar’, a personal name which is said to have originated as Cú Chobhair, from cú ‘hound’ (genitive con) + cobhar ‘desiring’, i.e. ‘hound of desire’. Present-day bearers of the surname claim descent from a 10th-century king of Connacht of this name. In Irish legend, Conchobhar was a king of Ulster who lived at around the time of Christ and who adopted the youthful Cú Chulainn. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Siobhan, Donal, Aileen, Kieran, Aidan, Colm, Fitzgerald, Liam, Caitlin, Eamon, Niall.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name O'Connor in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname O'Connor has maintained a steady popularity in the United States between 2000 and 2010. The surname was ranked 385th in both census years. The count of individuals with this surname also remained unchanged at 74,756 people, which translates to approximately 27.71 individuals per 100,000 in the population. This demonstrates that the O'Connor surname's prominence has not wavered in the decade under consideration.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #385 | #385 | 0% |
| Count | 74,756 | 74,756 | 0% |
| Proportion per 100k | 27.71 | 27.71 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O'Connor
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a consistent distribution among O'Connors from 2000 to 2010. A vast majority, 94.75%, identify as White. Those identifying as Hispanic and Black each make up about 1.58% and 1.74% respectively. Meanwhile, those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native represent smaller portions of the total at 0.58% and 0.25%, respectively. Finally, around 1.10% of O'Connors belong to two or more ethnic groups. This data suggests that the O'Connor surname is predominantly associated with individuals of White ethnicity within the United States.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.75% | 94.75% | 0% |
| Black | 1.74% | 1.74% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 1.58% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.25% | 0.25% | 0% |
O'Connor 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'Connor is British & Irish, which comprises 62.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (14.8%) and Eastern European (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 62.9% |
| French & German | 14.8% |
| Eastern European | 5.5% |
| Other | 16.8% |
Possible origins of the surname O'Connor
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'Connor have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 88.60% |
What O'Connor 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'Connor is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Connors, Connor, Conner, Obrien, Kelly, O'Brien, Kelley, Murray, Dillon.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with O'Connor 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 O'Connor 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'Connor" Surname 40.8%
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'Connor" Surname 26.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"O'Connor" Surname 19.4%
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'Connor" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name O'Connor?
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'Connor are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition