Show ContentsConnors History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Today's Irish surnames are underpinned by a multitude of rich histories. The name Connors originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Conchobhair, derived from the personal name Conchobhar.

Early Origins of the Connors family

The surname Connors was first found in Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The chief O'Connor Kerry was lord of a vast area north of Kerry prior to the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1170, when they were pushed further north.

Early History of the Connors family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Connors research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1761, 1763, 1834 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Connors History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connors Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Connor, Conner, Conor, Connors, O'Connor, Connores, Conner, Connar, Connars, O'Connar, O'Conner, Connair, Connairs, Connaire, Connaires, Cawner, Cawners, Caunnor, Cauner, Cauners and many more.

Early Notables of the Connors family

More information is included under the topic Early Connors Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Connors Ranking

In the United States, the name Connors is the 1,866th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Connors is ranked the 162nd most popular surname with an estimated 241 people with that name. 2


United States Connors migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Connors Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Biddy Connors, aged 19, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 3

Canada Connors migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Connors Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mary Connors, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1810
  • George Connors, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1816
  • Mary Connors, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1820
  • John Connors, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1823
  • Hanna Connors, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1825
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Connors migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Connors Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Connors, (b. 1780), aged 39, Irish labourer who was convicted in County Offaly (King's County), Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 3rd October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • John Connors Mr. settled in New South Wales, Australia in 1823 5
  • Mr. Michael Connors, (b. 1805), aged 22, Irish cooper who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. Patrick Connors, (b. 1795), aged 32, Irish farmers man who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for life for coining, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 19th July 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1831 6
  • Mr. David Connors, (b. 1816), aged 19, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Blackwell" on 29th September 1835, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1886 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Connors migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Connors Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margret Connors, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 8
  • Miss Kate Connors, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Himalaya" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 10th February 1867 8
  • Mr. James Connors, (b. 1846), aged 23, British ploughman travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 30th September 1869 8
  • Cornelius Connors, aged 33, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1874
  • Martin Connors, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Hawkes Bay aboard the ship "Countess of Kintore" in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Connors (post 1700) +

  • Kevin Joseph "Chuck" Connors (1921-1992), American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player
  • William Joseph "Billy" Connors (1941-2018), American Major League Baseball player, coach and front office official
  • Leonard T. Connors Jr. (1929-2016), American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1982 to 2008
  • Mike Connors (1925-2017), born Krekor Ohanian, American actor, best remembered for playing detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series, Mannix
  • Robert A. "Bob" Connors (d. 1998), American college football player, member of the Northeastern University athletics Hall of Fame (1990)
  • Joseph P. Connors (1862-1891), early American professional baseball pitcher
  • James Scott "Jimmy" Connors (b. 1952), American tennis player, former world number one tennis player, winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles and two Grand Slam doubles titles
  • Cecelia Connors, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2000 9
  • Caitlin Connors, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 2012 9
  • Benjamin R. Connors, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1928 9
  • ... (Another 34 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Halifax Explosion
  • Mary  Connors, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 10
  • Miss Mary Josephine  Connors (1914-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Patrick John Connors (d. 1912), aged 61, Irish Third Class passenger from Charleville, Cork who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 11


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blackwell
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  10. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  11. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook