NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Conor

Lover of wolves, of Irish origin derived from the Gaelic elementos con "hound" and ri "king".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Conor is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Conor popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #422, with 95 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 1,225 births.

This profile covers 10,298 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 8% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 17,174 living people in the UK are called Conor. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Conor ranked #422 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 95 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 1,225 boys were registered as Conor.
  • Conor ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #51 in 2024.
  • About 17,174 living people in the UK are estimated to have Conor as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#422

2024

Births in 2024

95

Latest year

Peak year

1998

1,225 births

Estimated living

17,174

2026

Meaning

What does Conor mean?

The name Conor is an Irish masculine given name derived from the Gaelic word "conchobhar," which means "lover of wolves" or "wolf-lover." The name has its origins in ancient Celtic mythology and culture, where wolves were revered as sacred animals and symbols of strength, loyalty, and protection.

The earliest recorded use of the name Conor can be traced back to the 7th century AD in Ireland, where it was borne by several notable figures, including Conor mac Nessa, a legendary king of Ulster featured in the epic Irish tale, the "Táin Bó Cúailnge" (The Cattle Raid of Cooley).

Another notable figure in Irish history with the name Conor was Conor O'Brien, a 12th-century king of Thomond (present-day County Clare) who played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland.

In the 16th century, Conor O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, was a prominent figure in the Gaelic Irish resistance against the English crown during the Nine Years' War (1593-1603).

Moving forward in history, Conor Cruise O'Brien (1917-2008) was an Irish writer, historian, and political commentator known for his works on Irish nationalism and his opposition to the IRA's campaign of violence during the Troubles.

Another notable figure with the name Conor is Conor McGregor, the Irish professional mixed martial artist and boxer, born in 1988, who rose to fame as a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion.

While the name Conor has its roots in Irish culture and mythology, it has gained popularity worldwide, especially in English-speaking countries, due to its unique and distinctive sound. The name has been borne by many notable individuals across various fields, including literature, politics, and sports, reflecting its enduring appeal and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Conor over time

The chart below shows babies named Conor registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Conor, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 95 births in 2024, compared with 1,225 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Conor
03066139191K199620102024

Decades

Conor by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Conor 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
2020s #345 647 5
2010s #264 1,926 10
2000s #153 3,529 10
1990s #63 4,196 4

Geography

Where Conor is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Conor. 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.

Conor ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #51 in 2024.

Northern Ireland
46
Scotland
24

Across the UK

Conor in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#181 in 2024

39 years of NRS records, 2,744 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#51 in 2024

28 years of NISRA records, 4,298 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Conor

  • Conor Williamson

    field hockey player

    English field hockey player

    2001-

  • Conor McNicholas

    editor; journalist

    British magazine editor

    2000-

  • Conor O'Clery

    newspaper editor

    Irish writer and journalist

    2000-

  • Conor E. Murphy

    chess player

    Irish chess player (born 1999)

    1999-

  • Conor McKenna

    Australian rules football player

    Australian rules footballer

    1996-

  • Conor Wilkinson

    association football player

    Irish association football player

    1995-

  • Conor McMenamin

    association football player

    association football player

    1995-

  • Conor McGrandles

    association football player

    British footballer (born 1995)

    1995-

Related

Names similar to Conor

FAQ

Conor: questions and answers

How popular is the name Conor in the UK right now?

In 2024, Conor was ranked #422 for boys in England and Wales, with 95 births registered.

When was Conor most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 1,225 babies registered as Conor in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Conor?

Lover of wolves, of Irish origin derived from the Gaelic elementos con "hound" and ri "king".

How many people are called Conor in the UK?

A total of 10,298 babies have been registered as Conor across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 2,744 more in Scotland and 4,298 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Conor most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Conor ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #51 in 2024. 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.