The O'Conor Family Name

Families named O'Conor share their surname's story with O'Connor, its better-known spelling. Taken at its root, O'Conor points to “Descendant of Conchobhar”.

O'Conor and O'Connor

Without the “n” of O'Connor, O'Conor is a simpler written form of the same name. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Other spellings include Connor and Conner.

Heraldry and the O'Conor name

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named O'Conor, so the heraldry linked to O'Connor is a starting point, not an automatic right.

For the full story, order the O'Conor surname pack.