NameCensus.

UK surname

Oconnell

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Conaill," derived from the Irish name Ó Conaill.

In the 1881 census there were 1,335 people recorded with the Oconnell surname, ranking it #3,076 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,219, ranked #800, up from #3,076 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cardiff, Derby and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Oconnell is 8,447 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 515.7%.

1881 census count

1,335

Ranked #3,076

Modern count

8,219

2016, ranked #800

Peak year

2010

8,447 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Oconnell had 1,335 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,076 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,219 in 2016, ranked #800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,062 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Oconnell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Oconnell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Oconnell 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 390 #6,155
1861 historical 472 #5,507
1881 historical 1,335 #3,076
1891 historical 1,409 #3,094
1901 historical 1,977 #2,682
1911 historical 2,062 #2,421
1997 modern 7,978 #806
1998 modern 8,239 #806
1999 modern 8,349 #801
2000 modern 8,281 #807
2001 modern 8,010 #813
2002 modern 8,208 #811
2003 modern 7,958 #816
2004 modern 7,916 #817
2005 modern 7,823 #817
2006 modern 7,807 #815
2007 modern 7,875 #820
2008 modern 7,944 #814
2009 modern 8,102 #820
2010 modern 8,447 #801
2011 modern 8,401 #796
2012 modern 8,184 #803
2013 modern 8,402 #790
2014 modern 8,443 #790
2015 modern 8,299 #794
2016 modern 8,219 #800

Geography

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Where Oconnells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Marylebone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cardiff, Derby, Winchester, Wirral and Purbeck. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cardiff 036 Cardiff
2 Derby 026 Derby
3 Winchester 006 Winchester
4 Wirral 016 Wirral
5 Purbeck 006 Purbeck

Forenames

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First names often paired with Oconnell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Oconnell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Oconnell, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Oconnell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Oconnell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Oconnell 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

Oconnell 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

Oconnell falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Oconnell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Oconnell

The surname OCONNELL is an anglicized form of the ancient Irish Gaelic name Ó Conaill, which originated in County Kerry, Ireland. It means "descendant of Conall" and can be traced back to the 10th century. The prefix "O" is derived from the Irish word "ua" meaning grandson or descendant.

The name is believed to have originated in the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, where the Ó Conaill clan were an influential family during medieval times. They were Lords of Iveragh and held large territories around the Dingle area. The Ó Conaill sept (clan) was one of the most powerful in Munster.

The name first appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1014 when Donnchadh Ó Conaill, Lord of Iveragh, is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Book of Leinster, a 12th-century manuscript, where Diarmait Ó Conaill is recorded as a witness to a charter.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the anglicized spelling OCONNELL is found in the Pipe Rolls of 1211, which were financial records of the English Crown. An entry lists "Mauricius Oconell" as owing money for lands in County Kerry.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the OCONNELL surname, including Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), an Irish political leader and emancipator who campaigned for Catholic rights and Irish self-governance. Sir Maurice O'Connell (1612-1669) was an Irish royalist who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War.

Other prominent figures include William Henry O'Connell (1859-1944), a Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Boston; John O'Connell (1810-1858), an Irish novelist and short story writer; and Maureen O'Connell (born 1946), an American figure skater who won gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Oconnell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Oconnell 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. Middlesex leads with 138 Oconnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.00x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 138 2.00x
Lancashire 131 1.60x
Lanarkshire 56 2.51x
Surrey 48 1.43x
Glamorgan 45 3.74x
Yorkshire 27 0.39x
Durham 25 1.22x
Gloucestershire 23 1.70x
Kent 22 0.93x
Monmouthshire 21 4.21x
Angus 18 2.81x
Warwickshire 18 1.03x
Cheshire 14 0.92x
Sussex 14 1.20x
Hampshire 13 0.92x
Midlothian 13 1.41x
Staffordshire 13 0.56x
Devon 7 0.49x
Royal Navy 7 8.51x
Herefordshire 6 2.12x
Carmarthenshire 5 1.72x
Huntingdonshire 5 3.65x
Somerset 5 0.45x
Essex 4 0.29x
Cornwall 3 0.38x
Dunbartonshire 3 1.62x
Norfolk 3 0.28x
Renfrewshire 3 0.56x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.31x
Cumberland 2 0.34x
Northumberland 2 0.19x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.91x
Ayrshire 1 0.19x
Bedfordshire 1 0.28x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Channel Islands 1 0.49x
Hertfordshire 1 0.21x
Leicestershire 1 0.13x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.23x
Roxburghshire 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 43 Oconnells recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.64x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 43 8.64x
Glasgow 20 5.04x
Hackney London 17 4.39x
St Marylebone London 17 4.61x
Westminster St James 17 23.94x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 11.51x
Lambeth 14 2.32x
Dundee 12 5.02x
Salford 12 4.98x
Stockton On Tees 12 12.12x
Govan 11 1.99x
Denton 10 55.07x
Aston 9 1.88x
Barony 9 1.59x
Cardiff St Mary 9 13.59x
Limehouse London 9 11.87x
Northfleet 9 43.35x
Pendleton In Salford 9 9.22x
Stranton 9 13.01x
Bristol St James In 8 40.16x
St Woollos 8 14.36x
Bradford 7 18.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 1.88x
Gorbals 7 52.79x
Kensington London 7 1.82x
Kirkdale 7 5.08x
Leeds 7 1.81x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 6.06x
Plumstead 7 8.91x
Royal Navy 7 9.95x
St Luke London 7 6.32x
West Derby 7 2.92x
Bow London 6 6.82x
Brighton 6 2.55x
Everton 6 2.30x
Fulham London 6 5.99x
Heston 6 26.16x
Islington London 6 0.90x
Liff Benvie 6 6.18x
Lower Bullingham 6 535.71x
Manchester 6 1.63x
Portsea 6 2.16x
Ratcliffe London 6 15.73x
Shotts 6 22.45x
South Leith 6 5.76x
Southwark St John 6 28.41x
Swansea Town 6 6.09x
Whitechapel London 6 8.81x
Wootton Wawen 6 109.29x
Aberavon 5 45.17x
Bristol St Augustine 5 22.87x
Chelsea London 5 2.40x
Clerkenwell London 5 3.07x
Guildford St Nicholas 5 84.03x
Huntingdon All Sts 5 526.32x
Hyde 5 11.11x
Llandaff 5 12.50x
Stockport 5 6.37x
Trevethin 5 10.60x
Walsall Borough 5 27.62x
Willenhall 5 11.45x
Aberdare 4 4.85x
Aberystruth 4 9.09x
Llanwonno 4 9.26x
North Bierley 4 10.83x
Pencarreg 4 142.86x
Thornley 4 53.76x
Toxteth Park 4 1.44x
Birkenhead 3 2.47x
Devonport 3 18.16x
Hampstead London 3 2.79x
Holy Trinity 3 1.82x
Isleworth 3 9.77x
Liskeard 3 22.94x
Monmouth 3 22.66x
North Meols 3 3.74x
Portsmouth 3 9.21x
Preston 3 1.37x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 15.32x
Worsley 3 5.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 67
Ellen 29
Margaret 19
Eliza 12
Catherine 11
Elizabeth 11
Annie 9
Alice 8
Kate 8
Jane 7
Julia 7
Ann 5
Maria 5
Agnes 4
Bridget 4
Esther 4
Johannah 4
Sarah 4
Honora 3
Lizzie 3
Rose 3
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Honorah 2
Janet 2
Johanna 2
Louisa 2
Sophia 2
Winifred 2
Anna 1
C. 1
Catharine 1
Elonor 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Henry 1
Hessey 1
Ida 1
Jemimah 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 57
Daniel 37
James 24
William 18
Michael 17
Patrick 16
Thomas 13
Edward 9
Richard 9
Dennis 8
Jeremiah 7
Joseph 7
Charles 6
Maurice 5
Cornelius 4
George 4
Timothy 4
Danl. 3
Martin 3
Peter 3
Robert 3
Stephen 3
David 2
Eugene 2
Hugh 2
J. 2
Jno. 2
Philip 2
Valentine 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Augustine 1
Dl. 1
Edrd. 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Gilbert 1
Harrington 1
Henry 1
Ignatius 1
Infant 1
Jas. 1
Jeffery 1
Morgan 1
Morris 1
Paul 1
Rich 1
Robt. 1
S. 1
Thimothy 1

FAQ

Oconnell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Oconnell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,335 people were recorded with the Oconnell surname. That placed it at #3,076 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Oconnell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,219 in 2016. That gives Oconnell a modern rank of #800.

What does the Oconnell surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin meaning "descendant of Conaill," derived from the Irish name Ó Conaill.

What does the Oconnell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Oconnell 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.