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Irish surname

O'Connor: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Conchobhair · 'descendant of Conchobhar' (high-will or desire, an ancient Irish personal name)

O'Connor is from the Irish Ó Conchobhair, 'descendant of Conchobhar'. Woulfe (1923) calls it one of the most numerous and widespread Irish family names and records at least six distinct families, including the O'Connors of Connacht, two of whom became kings of all Ireland, and the O'Connors of Offaly and of Kerry. Bearers include Roderic O'Conor, last Monarch of Ireland, and the scholar Charles O'Conor of Belanagare.

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Coat of arms associated with the O'Connor surname
Irish formÓ Conchobhair
Meaning'descendant of Conchobhar' (high-will or desire, an ancient Irish personal name)
CountiesRoscommon, Offaly, Kerry, Clare
Other spellings3

Origin of the O'Connor name

Woulfe lists at least six families: Connacht (from Conchobhar, King of Connacht, late 10th century; branches Ó Conchobhair Donn, Ruadh and Sligeach); Offaly (stronghold Dangan); Kerry (Iraghticonor, stronghold Carrigafoyle); Corcomroe in west Clare; Keenaght in Co. Derry; and Ui Breasail, a branch of the Oirghialla.[1]

  1. 979Death of Conchobhar, son of Fionn, lord of Offaly, who named the Offaly O'Connors.[1]
  2. 1002Conchobhar, lord of Corcomroe, who named the Clare O'Connors, slain.[1]
  3. 1126–1156Turlough O'Conor holds the nominal sovereignty of Ireland, according to Keating.[4]
  4. 1166Roderic O'Conor inaugurated King of Ireland.[6]
  5. 1175Treaty of Windsor with Henry II 'is said to have been entered into' (Webb).[6]
  6. 1198Roderic O'Conor dies at the Abbey of Cong.[6]
  7. 1766Charles O'Conor of Belanagare publishes 'Dissertations on the History of Ireland'.[5]

Where in Ireland

Co. RoscommonBelanagare (Bellanagare, Co. Roscommon), home of Charles O'Conor's family, who descended from a brother of King Roderic.[5][7]
Co. OffalyO'Connors of Offaly; chief stronghold Dangan (Philipstown); dispossessed under Philip and Mary.[1]
Co. KerryO'Connor of Kerry held Iraghticonor until the end of Elizabeth's reign; first county for O'Connor births in 1890.[1][3]
Co. ClareO'Connors of Corcomroe, lords of that west Clare barony until the close of the 16th century.[1]
Co. DerryO'Connors of Keenaght, dispossessed by the O'Kanes shortly before the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]

Notable people named O'Connor

Turlough O'Conor1088–1156King of Connacht; nominal sovereign of Ireland 1126–1156, according to Keating; buried at Clonmacnoise.[4]
Roderic O'Conorc. 1116–1198King of Connacht and last Monarch of Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasion; abdicated in 1183.[6]
Charles O'Conor of Belanagare1710–1791Scholar and antiquary who worked to preserve Irish manuscripts; author of 'Dissertations on the History of Ireland'.[5]

Other spellings

O'Conor · Connor · Connors[1]

The O'Connor coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the O'Connor surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

O'Connor crest gifts

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O'Connor surname: questions

What does the surname O'Connor mean?

Woulfe gives Ó Conchobhair, 'descendant of Conchobhar', an ancient Irish personal name he explains as 'high-will or desire'.[1]

Is O'Connor one family?

No. Woulfe records at least six distinct families: in Connacht, Offaly, Kerry, Corcomroe (Co. Clare), Keenaght (Co. Derry) and Ui Breasail.[1]

Are Connor, Connors and O'Conor the same name as O'Connor?

Woulfe lists O'Conor, O'Connor, Connor and Connors among the English forms of Ó Conchobhair. He calls the head of the Connacht family The O'Conor Don. In the 1890 birth indexes Matheson counted 432 Connor entries and, separately, 266 O'Connor.[1][2][3]

Were the O'Connors kings of Ireland?

Woulfe says two of the Connacht O'Connors became kings of all Ireland. Webb's Compendium covers Turlough O'Conor (nominal sovereign 1126–1156) and his son Roderic, the last Monarch of Ireland.[1][4][6]

Sources

  1. Ó Conchobhair — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-conchobhair.php
  2. Connor — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), birth indexes of 1890, transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/connor.php
  3. O'Connor — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), birth indexes of 1890, transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/oconnor.php
  4. Turlough O'Conor — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/TurloughOConor.php
  5. Charles O'Conor of Belanagare — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/CharlesOConor.php
  6. Roderic O'Conor — A Compendium of Irish Biography (Alfred Webb, 1878), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/biography/RodericOConor.php
  7. Béal Átha na gCarr / Bellanagare (town), Co. Roscommon, Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). logainm.ie/en/1416765

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).