NameCensus.

UK surname

Connell

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Conaill," meaning "descendant of Conall," a personal name meaning "strong wolf."

In the 1881 census there were 5,144 people recorded with the Connell surname, ranking it #867 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,429, ranked #897, down from #867 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Galston, Earlston and Hurlford Rural and Bonnyton and Town Centre.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Connell is 7,722 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.4%.

1881 census count

5,144

Ranked #867

Modern count

7,429

2016, ranked #897

Peak year

2010

7,722 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Connell had 5,144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #867 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,429 in 2016, ranked #897.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,115 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Connell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Connell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Connell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Connell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,816 #1,036
1861 historical 3,371 #846
1881 historical 5,144 #867
1891 historical 5,237 #894
1901 historical 6,115 #910
1911 historical 4,008 #1,276
1997 modern 7,070 #919
1998 modern 7,287 #930
1999 modern 7,325 #931
2000 modern 7,301 #925
2001 modern 7,127 #929
2002 modern 7,299 #922
2003 modern 7,135 #920
2004 modern 7,171 #920
2005 modern 7,131 #910
2006 modern 7,177 #902
2007 modern 7,281 #901
2008 modern 7,278 #905
2009 modern 7,513 #902
2010 modern 7,722 #896
2011 modern 7,483 #910
2012 modern 7,278 #911
2013 modern 7,427 #909
2014 modern 7,537 #902
2015 modern 7,423 #907
2016 modern 7,429 #897

Geography

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Where Connells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Manchester, St Marylebone and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Galston, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Bonnyton and Town Centre, Sefton and Blackburn with Darwen. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Galston East Ayrshire
2 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
3 Bonnyton and Town Centre East Ayrshire
4 Sefton 037 Sefton
5 Blackburn with Darwen 012 Blackburn with Darwen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Connell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Connell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Connell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Connell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Connell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Connell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Connell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Connell is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Connell falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Connell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Connell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Connell

The surname Connell originated in Ireland, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Conghalaigh," which means "descendant of Conghalach." Conghalach was a personal name derived from the Gaelic words "con" meaning hound, and "ghal" meaning valor or bravery.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 15th century. The Annals mention a "Conghalach Ua Conghalaigh" who was the chief of the Uí Conghalaigh clan in the 12th century.

The Connell surname is particularly associated with County Donegal in Ulster, where the Uí Conghalaigh clan was based. The name is also found in other parts of Ireland, including Counties Sligo, Mayo, and Galway.

Notable individuals with the surname Connell include:

1. Sir John Connell (1616-1698), an Irish landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for County Donegal. 2. Michael Connell (1804-1879), an Irish-born American Catholic priest and educator who founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. 3. Evan Shelby Connell (1924-2013), an American novelist and intellectual known for his works such as "Mrs. Bridge" and "Mr. Bridge." 4. Dermot Connell (born 1950), an Irish former hurler who played for the Cork senior hurling team and won two All-Ireland medals. 5. Yvonne Connell (born 1966), a New Zealand former swimmer and Olympic gold medalist in the 200-meter freestyle event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The Connell surname has also been recorded with various spellings over the centuries, including O'Connell, O'Conghaile, Conghail, and Connel. Some of these variations may have been influenced by anglicization or regional dialects within Ireland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Connell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Connell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 873 Connells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.45x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 873 1.45x
Middlesex 717 1.41x
Lanarkshire 603 3.67x
Yorkshire 591 1.17x
Renfrewshire 295 7.50x
Surrey 248 1.00x
Ayrshire 244 6.42x
Kent 108 0.62x
Northumberland 107 1.42x
Glamorgan 93 1.05x
Durham 91 0.60x
Cheshire 82 0.73x
Argyllshire 77 5.45x
Angus 62 1.32x
Hampshire 57 0.55x
Midlothian 57 0.84x
Warwickshire 53 0.41x
Monmouthshire 52 1.42x
Dunbartonshire 51 3.74x
Stirlingshire 48 2.56x
Staffordshire 47 0.27x
Essex 45 0.45x
Kirkcudbrightshire 42 5.71x
Channel Islands 39 2.59x
Dumfriesshire 39 3.48x
Fife 35 1.16x
Cumberland 34 0.78x
Gloucestershire 33 0.33x
Lincolnshire 33 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 33 0.48x
Leicestershire 27 0.48x
Perthshire 25 1.10x
Derbyshire 24 0.30x
Royal Navy 20 3.31x
Buteshire 19 6.18x
Aberdeenshire 16 0.34x
Devon 16 0.15x
Isle of Man 13 1.38x
Norfolk 12 0.15x
Suffolk 12 0.19x
Selkirkshire 11 2.39x
Worcestershire 10 0.15x
Herefordshire 9 0.43x
Oxfordshire 8 0.26x
Sussex 8 0.09x
West Lothian 8 1.05x
Wigtownshire 8 1.19x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.28x
Dorset 6 0.18x
Brecknockshire 5 0.49x
Clackmannanshire 5 1.19x
Hertfordshire 5 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.12x
Cornwall 4 0.07x
Denbighshire 4 0.21x
Merionethshire 4 0.43x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.25x
Somerset 4 0.05x
Berkshire 3 0.08x
Inverness-shire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.04x
Roxburghshire 2 0.22x
Shropshire 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Berwickshire 1 0.16x
Kinross-shire 1 0.78x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 217 Connells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.34x.

Place Total Index
Govan 217 5.34x
Barony 186 4.48x
Liverpool 98 2.68x
Glasgow 84 2.88x
St Marylebone London 79 2.91x
Leeds 77 2.71x
Manchester 65 2.40x
Abbey 63 10.49x
Salford 57 3.22x
Bermondsey 56 3.70x
Lambeth 47 1.06x
Toxteth Park 46 2.25x
Chelsea London 45 2.94x
Merthyr Tydfil 45 5.30x
Dundee 44 2.51x
Bradford 41 3.37x
Galston 41 39.45x
Loudoun 41 44.86x
Oldham 41 2.11x
St Pancras London 41 1.00x
West Derby 41 2.33x
Shoreditch London 40 1.82x
Everton 39 2.03x
Hackney London 38 1.33x
Islington London 37 0.75x
Wigan 37 4.39x
Birmingham 36 0.84x
Preston 36 2.23x
Paisley High Church 32 10.21x
Lochwinnoch 31 52.86x
Kirkdale 30 2.96x
Castleford 29 15.83x
Gateshead 28 2.48x
St Helier 28 5.72x
West Greenock 28 3.96x
Westminster St John 28 4.53x
Cathcart 27 12.68x
Great Bolton 27 3.38x
Kirkintilloch 27 14.57x
Deptford St Paul 26 1.95x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 0.95x
Horton In Bradford 26 3.31x
Paisley Low Church 26 20.87x
Clerkenwell London 25 2.09x
Camberwell 24 0.74x
Pendleton In Salford 24 3.34x
Kensington London 23 0.81x
Old Cumnock 23 27.18x
Portsea 23 1.13x
Barrow In Furness 22 2.68x
Birkenhead 21 2.35x
Bromley London 21 1.88x
Dundonald 21 14.99x
Hamilton 21 4.59x
St George In East London 21 4.40x
Elswick 20 3.32x
Old Monkland 20 3.07x
Falkirk 19 4.33x
Rothesay 19 12.75x
Royal Navy 19 3.67x
Southwark St George Martyr 19 1.86x
St Giles In Fields London 19 7.63x
Blackburn 18 1.12x
Bootle Cum Linacre 18 3.76x
Fulham London 18 2.44x
Rutherglen 18 7.47x
Aberystruth 17 5.25x
Battersea 17 0.91x
Bowling 17 3.41x
Port Glasgow 17 8.94x
Shotts 17 8.65x
St Gilesin Fields London 17 39.57x
Wallsend 17 7.10x
Harlington 16 59.77x
Kilmore Kilbride 16 17.83x
St George Hanover Square 16 1.79x
Ardchattan Muckairn 15 42.92x
Kilbarchan 15 12.55x
Neilston 15 7.59x
West Ham 15 0.68x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Connell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 328
Ellen 116
Margaret 114
Elizabeth 86
Ann 85
Catherine 77
Sarah 71
Bridget 63
Annie 56
Jane 45
Alice 38
Hannah 36
Emma 35
Kate 34
Emily 28
Eliza 23
Julia 21
Caroline 16
Maria 15
Rose 15
Louisa 14
Martha 14
Florence 12
Isabella 12
Agnes 11
Clara 10
Anne 9
Esther 9
Fanny 9
Rebecca 9
Amelia 8
Charlotte 8
Elizth. 8
Harriett 8
Winifred 8
Ada 7
Frances 7
Gertrude 7
Harriet 7
Nora 7
Norah 7
Susan 7
Johanna 6
Maggie 6
Nancy 6
Anna 5
Edith 5
Grace 5
Jessie 5
Margret 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Connell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 323
James 173
William 172
Thomas 119
Patrick 101
Michael 66
Charles 47
Robert 47
George 44
Joseph 36
Daniel 34
Edward 34
Peter 28
David 27
Alfred 21
Henry 19
Dennis 18
Richard 18
Arthur 17
Frederick 15
Timothy 15
Francis 14
Martin 13
Walter 13
Jeremiah 12
Andrew 10
Benjamin 10
Cornelius 9
Edwin 9
Frank 9
Stephen 9
Alexander 8
Herbert 8
Matthew 7
Maurice 7
Wm. 7
Edmund 6
Hugh 6
Samuel 6
Thos. 6
Albert 5
Anthony 5
Denis 5
Dan 4
Ernest 4
Fred 4
Michl. 4
Phillip 4
Richd. 4
Bartholomew 3

FAQ

Connell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Connell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,144 people were recorded with the Connell surname. That placed it at #867 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Connell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,429 in 2016. That gives Connell a modern rank of #897.

What does the Connell surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "O Conaill," meaning "descendant of Conall," a personal name meaning "strong wolf."

What does the Connell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Connell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.