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BEHIND THE NAME: CONNOR
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ETYMOLOGY
Connor is pronounced KAH-nor. Connor means lover of wolves, dogs, hounds and suggests wisdom and strong will. Connor the Wolf Lover is wise and strong describes the character of this name.

ORIGIN & HISTORY
Connor is an Irish name with ancient Gaelic beginnings. Though it is not linked to a particular religion it is seen throughout Ireland in many family and place names. Connor most likely stems from the combination of "cu"- meaning wolf or hound and "aire" meaning farmer or landowner. Another origin is the Irish 'Coachuhhar' which means high desire.

POPULARITY
Connor is a very rare male first name, yet it is found on 5399 favorite name lists.
It has been in the top 1000 names for boys since 1981 in the US and the UK. Connor was the 38th most popular name in 2004. According to The Names Database, Connor is found more often as a surname (last name).

FASCINATING FACTS
It is interesting to note that 2004, 98 % of males named Connor were under the age of 20. The average age for all males named Connor in 2004 was just under 9. No girls were named Connor in the past 127 years. Historic names are regaining popular interest.

In the Irish County Roscommon, Connor was among the most numerous family names in the 19th century.

In Skagitt County, Washington the town of LaConner was named for an early settler, J.J.Connor. In Greeley County, Nebraska the town of O'Connor was named for Bishop O'Connor.
Connor House is an upscale private school in Bangor, County Down, UK.

In West Hartford, Connecticut there is a chapel on the campus of St. Joseph College, named Connor Chapel of Our Lady.

The 86 acre oligotrophic Connor Pond is a restricted access area near the Ossipee Mountains areas of the New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife Service lands.

In Idaho, the town of Connor is located along state highway 77 between Malta and Declo.

NAMESAKES
According to legend, Conn of the Hundred Battles (Conn Cethchathach) was a high king of Ireland. He is considered to be the part of the ancestry of the O'Connors, O'Donnells, O'Dowds, O'Flahertys, O'Neills, and O'Rourkes. The O'Connors are one of three Irish royal families.
Connor was the name of an early king of Ulster, who lived at the time of Christ. According to legends, his Gaelic name was Conchobhar. His strong desire for Deirdre led to tragedy.

FAMOUS PERSONS
Conor Cruise O'Brien is a contemporary Irish diplomat and author.
Nicole Kidman's adopted son Conor was born in 1995.
Flannery O'Connor, American author with a Southern style and an independent attitude, said, "I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one."
Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman who was appointed as US Supreme Court Justice advises, "Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom"

NAME VARIANTS
The two most common variations on the name Connor are Conner and Conor. Spelling these names with "K" as in Konnor is or Konner is a less frequent variation. The name Conn is believed to be derived from Connor. Conortje seems to be the Dutch equivalent of Connor.

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