2000
#17,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,521
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Connery
Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "King's Point" or "King's Headland".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,727 Americans carry the last name Connery. That puts it at #18,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 198,468 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Connery surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Connery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.7K
1 in 198,468
Census rank
#18,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,506 bearers of the surname Connery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Connery, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Connery
The surname Connery has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word "conaire," which means "hound" or "wolf." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with wolf-like characteristics or perhaps a keen hunter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Connery can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, dating back to 1376. In these ancient records, a person named John Conary is mentioned, indicating the possible roots of the modern spelling.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Connarie, Connary, and Connorie, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. These variations were common in medieval times before the standardization of surnames.
The Connery surname has been linked to several places in Scotland, most notably the parish of Connery in Aberdeenshire. This connection suggests that some bearers of the name may have derived their surname from the place where they lived or held land.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Connery is Sir Sean Connery (1930-2020), the renowned Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of James Bond in several films. His acting career spanned over six decades, and he earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes.
Another notable figure was Sir Alexander Connery (1856-1925), a Scottish engineer and businessman who played a significant role in the development of the hydroelectric power industry in Canada. He was responsible for the construction of several major power plants and was knighted for his contributions to the industry.
In the 16th century, the Connery surname appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. This historical record provides evidence of the name's presence in Scotland during that period.
The Connery family has also been associated with the Scottish clan system, specifically the Clan Donnachaidh, which traces its roots back to the ancient Celtic kingdom of Dál Riata. This connection suggests that some bearers of the Connery name may have ties to this influential clan.
Other notable individuals with the surname Connery include John Connery (1792-1871), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, and James Connery (1858-1935), a Scottish-born American labor leader and one of the founders of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Connery
Among Census respondents with the surname Connery, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Connery bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Connery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,361
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 48
- Two or more races3.2% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 25
- Black or African American1.3% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Connery
Connery appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#16,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,695
+174 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 341 places
2020
#18,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,506
-189 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Down 1,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,180 | 1,521 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,839 | 1,695 | 0.57 | +174 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 341 places |
| 2020 | #18,212 | 1,506 | 0.50 | -189 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 1,373 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Connery surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,839 | #18,212 | -8.2% |
| Count | 1,695 | 1,506 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.50 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Connery bearers went from 1,695 to 1,506 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 1,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,839 to #18,212.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Connery
FAQ
Connery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Connery?
Name Census estimates that about 1,727 living Americans carry the surname Connery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 198,468 residents.
How common is Connery?
Connery ranks #18,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,506 people with the surname Connery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,727), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Connery.
Has Connery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Connery went from 1,695 recorded bearers to 1,506. That is a decrease of 189 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,839 to #18,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Connery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Connery, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Connery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,361 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Connery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Connery (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Connery mean?
Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "King's Point" or "King's Headland". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Connery (0.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Connery?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.