Irish2 syllablesOutside the U.S. top 100
Meaning: lover of hounds (traditional gloss).
Conor
| Origin | Irish — anglicisation of Conchobhar, Old Irish Conchobar |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Traditionally “lover of hounds”, from cú (genitive con), hound or wolf, plus a second element usually read as cobar, desiring; some read the whole as “patron of warriors” |
| Pronunciation | KON-er, two syllables. The full Irish Conchobhar takes three, roughly KON-uh-khoor, with a ch as in loch |
| Popularity | Outside the current U.S. top 100; one of Ireland's most-used boys' names through the 1990s, and far commoner in America in the Connor spelling |
| Variants | Connor, Conner, Conchobhar, Conchúr, Konnor |
| Nicknames | Con, Conn |
| Legendary bearer | Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster in the Táin Bó Cúailnge |
History & meaning
The first element of Conchobar is not in doubt: cú, genitive con, a hound, and by extension a wolf or a warrior. The second is. The common reading takes it as cobar, desiring, producing lover of hounds, the gloss you will find in most reference books. An alternative reads the compound as something nearer to patron or helper of warriors. Either way the name is assembled from the vocabulary early Ireland used for its fighting class, where calling a man a hound was praise.
Its legendary bearer is Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster at Emain Macha, whose court frames the Táin Bó Cúailnge and who fostered Cú Chulainn. Its historical bearers were the Uí Chonchobair, the Connacht dynasty that produced Ruairí, the last High King, and gave English the surname O'Connor. That surname explains the double n: Connor is the anglicisation of Ó Conchobhair worn back into a first name, while Conor is the direct anglicisation of the given name. Ireland kept Conor as standard. America took up Connor in the 1980s and 1990s, and both spellings have receded since.
Why parents choose it
Conor is the frictionless Irish name: no silent letters, no pronunciation lesson, no shortage of grown men who wear it well. The single n signals which side of the Irish Sea it came from, at the cost of correcting the occasional form.
Middle names for Conor
Conor's soft ending takes a hard consonant well: Conor David, Conor Emmett, Conor Tate. For something more ornate, Conor Louis. Test the pairing aloud using the middle names guide.
Famous Conors
Conor Oberst has fronted Bright Eyes since the 1990s. Playwright Conor McPherson wrote The Weir and The Seafarer. Conor Murray has played scrum-half for Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.
Consider instead
For another Ulster Cycle name with more texture, Cormac. If you want the same 1990s Irish sound with a different consonant, Ryan is still inside the U.S. top 100. Sean is the shortest route to the same effect and sits at the centre of most lists of Irish names.