Connor
Connor was the 166th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,211 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 38th with 10,049 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 111 places. More babies were named Connor in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning lover of hounds · Irish
Say it KAH-ner /ˈkɑnər/
- Rank in 2025
- #166 boys, down 88 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,211boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200410,049 babies
- Total since 1880
- 236,262babies recorded
What does the name Connor mean?
Connor is the English form of the Irish name Conchobhar (modern Conchúr), from Old Irish Conchobar. The name is usually explained as 'lover of hounds' or 'lover of wolves', from the Irish word for a hound, cú (genitive con); Wiktionary and Wikipedia both give this meaning. Its most famous early bearer is Conchobar mac Nessa, the legendary king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of tales. The surname O'Connor comes from Ó Conchobhair, 'descendant of Conchobhar'.
Conchobar (Old Irish, “Conchobar”)cú (Old Irish, “hound (genitive con)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The 'hound' element is clear; the exact sense of the second element is less certain.
Related names: Conor, Conner, Konnor, Conchúr, O'Connor.
See also: Irish names, names that mean love, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Connor', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Connor (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Conchobar', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Connor
The usual nicknames for Connor are Con.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Con · also for Conrad | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Connors go by each one.
Connor popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,716 since 1980, 14 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #166 | 2,211 |
| 2020 | #78 | 4,414 |
| 2010 | #49 | 8,051 |
| 2000 | #50 | 7,530 |
| 1990 | #221 | 1,377 |
| 1980 | #1,031 | 77 |
| 1970 | #3,323 | 9 |
| 1960 | #2,717 | 10 |
| 1950 | #3,388 | 6 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,108 | 5 |
| 1920 | #2,807 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Connor, counting every spelling?
Connor is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #128 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #166 for Connor on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,874 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor | 2,211 | #166 | 14,660 |
| Conor | 292 | #845 | 2,277 |
| Conner | 277 | #864 | 1,968 |
| Konnor | 52 | #2,553 | 447 |
| Konner | 42 | #2,961 | 335 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Connor?
2,211 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Connor (0.61 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Connor born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Connor.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Connor?
About 230,300 people born in the US named Connor are alive today, with a median age of 20; half are between 13 and 27. That makes Connor mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Connor by state
How common Connor was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Hampshire (3.5×), Vermont (3.0×), Maine (2.9×), Rhode Island (2.8×), Massachusetts (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Texas, Mississippi, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Connor: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Connor, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Connor · Sibling names for Connor
Questions about the name Connor
What does Connor mean?
Connor means “lover of hounds” (Irish origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Connor?
Connor was the 166th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,211 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 38th with 10,049 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 111 places. More babies were named Connor in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Connor a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Connor in the US.
Where is Connor most popular?
In 2021–2025, Connor was most common in New Hampshire (5.86 per 1,000 boys), followed by Vermont and Maine.