(Celtic) the Irish 0'Conchobhair=Descendant of Conchobhar [v. O’-, and Connor]

Ó Conchubhair The name of six distinct septs.

(See Map). In Connacht. there were O’Connor or O’Conor Don (of which was the last High-King of Ireland) with its branches O’Conor Roe, and O’Conor Sligo; also O’Connor Faly (i.e. of Offaly), O’Connor Kerry and O’Connor of Corcomroe. IF 88 etc.; Map Clare, Derry, Galway, Kerry, Ros and Sligo; Plate V

(Irish) Grandson of Concobair (meddlesome), or of Conchor (high will or desire).

“Son of Conchobhar” (“High Will”) in Erse.

The O'Connors of Connaught spring from Conor or Concovar, who died in 971. O'Donovan. The family were subdivided at an early period; and the head of one branch assumed the epithet of the O'Connor Roe, or the "Bed-haired," while the other was known as the O'Connor Don, or the "Brown-haired."

O'CONOR, O'CONNOR: The descendants of Conor or Concovar, an Irish chieftain, who died in the year 971. (See Conor.)

Connor, (or O’Connor) is an Irish surname. It derives from the Irish Gaelic ‘Conchobhar’. Thus, O’Connor means ‘the descendant of Conchobhar’ (the descendant of ‘high-will’). This refers to a quality in its possessor, just as the similar O’Connell refers to ‘the descendant of Conale’, or the descendant of ‘high-powerful’.

Connor was the name of six entirely distinct leading families in Ireland and was found all over the country, though it was rare in Kerry.

Perhaps the most renowned of the six Connor families, or clans, originated in Connacht. This clan was called O’Connor or O’Connor Don. The last High King of Ireland came from this clan, which has many branches. Other O’Connor families include O’Connor Roe and O’Connor Sligo (from Sligo) and O’Connor Faly (from Offaly), as well as branches in Kerry and North Clare. All members of these branches can properly claim to be descended from kings.

The name Connor is sometimes confused with the completely English occupational name of Conner, which stems from the Old English word meaning ‘inspector’ or ‘examiner’. Likewise, Connor (or O’Connor) has nothing to do with the similar but distinct Irish name of Connery (or O’Connery), which originated in Munster, mainly in and around Cork and Limerick.

At the 1906 Athens Olympics Irish Peter O’Connor won a gold medal for the Hop, Step and Jump. When the Union Jack was raised during the presentation of his medal, this so incensed O’Connor that, ignoring the ceremony in his honour, he descended the awards podium, climbed the flagpole and replaced the English flag with Ireland’s own.

Ireland’s best known short-story writer of this century was Michael O’Donovan (1901—66), who wrote under the name of Frank O’Connor. Called by Yeats ‘the Irish Chekhov’, he is best remembered for his stories about life in his native Cork, notably the collection Crab Apple Jelly (1944).

Rory O’Connor (1116—98), also known as Roderic, who was Turlough’s son and the last High King of Ireland, failed to defeat the Anglo-Norman invasion which led to English rule. He retired to a monastery where he died.

Connor has few towns and geographic features named in its honour, but Australia does have a Mount Connor and a Connors Range.

In England, Scotland and Wales the name Connor is not common enough to be counted separately. In Ireland, with about 33,000 namesakes, Connor is the 9th most popular surname. Around the world Connors and O’Connors are most common in Canberra (one in 1,509 families), Sydney (one in 2,134) and Melbourne (one in 2,392). In the United States there are an estimated 57,000 Connors and 85,000 O’Connors, in combination making this the country’s 168th most popular surname.