UK boy's name
Connel
Anglicized form of Gaelic name meaning "strong wolf".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Connel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Connel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4333, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 9 births.
This profile covers 29 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 54 living people in the UK are called Connel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Connel ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 9 boys were registered as Connel.
- • Connel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #584 in 2006.
- • About 54 living people in the UK are estimated to have Connel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4333
2007
Births in 2007
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
9 births
Estimated living
54
2026
Meaning
What does Connel mean?
The given name Connel originates from the Irish Gaelic language and has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture. The name is derived from the Irish words "con" meaning high or noble, and "all" meaning cliff or rock. Thus, the name Connel can be interpreted as "high cliff" or "noble rock."
The name Connel has been prevalent in Ireland since ancient times, and it is believed to have been used as a personal name since the early medieval period. It has also been spelled as Connell, Conall, and Conully in various historical records and texts.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Connel can be found in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, which dates back to the 8th or 9th century AD. In this cycle, Conall Cernach is depicted as a legendary warrior and one of the greatest heroes of the Red Branch Knights.
Another notable historical figure with the name Connel was Saint Conall of Inishkeel, an Irish monk who lived in the 6th century AD. He was a disciple of Saint Columba and is revered as the patron saint of the town of Glenties in County Donegal, Ireland.
In the 11th century, Conall mac Maoil Shemhnaill was a prominent king of the Cenél Conaill dynasty in Ulster, Ireland. He ruled from 1033 to 1060 and is remembered for his military campaigns against other Irish kingdoms and his efforts to maintain the autonomy of his territory.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 14th century, Connel of Clonard was a renowned Scottish warrior and supporter of Robert the Bruce. He fought alongside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and played a crucial role in securing Scottish independence from England.
In the 16th century, Connel Ó Mulchaoinne was an Irish poet and scribe who lived in County Sligo, Ireland. He is known for his works that preserved and celebrated the rich literary traditions of the Irish language and culture.
These are just a few examples of notable historical figures who bore the name Connel, showcasing its enduring legacy and cultural significance within the Irish and Celtic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Connel over time
The chart below shows babies named Connel registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Connel, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2007, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Connel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Connel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3842 | 12 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2031 | 17 | 3 |
Geography
Where Connel is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Connel. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Connel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #584 in 2006.
Across the UK
Connel in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#584 in 2006
7 years of NRS records, 26 total registered
Related
Names similar to Connel
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Connel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Connel in the UK right now?
In 2007, Connel was ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Connel most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 9 babies registered as Connel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Connel?
Anglicized form of Gaelic name meaning "strong wolf".
How many people are called Connel in the UK?
A total of 29 babies have been registered as Connel across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 26 more in Scotland.
Where is Connel most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Connel ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #584 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.