boy's name
Conall
KON-al
- Origin Irish
- Gender Boy
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 3,646
Ireland
#97
2025 births
Conall is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "strong wolf," borne by the Ulster Cycle hero who avenges Cú Chulainn. It ranks 97th in Ireland, and it gives County Donegal its Irish name, Tír Conaill.
- Conall is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in Ireland in 2021, when 63 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in Ireland.
- Today about 1 in 760 babies in Ireland is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1966.
Conall over time
Births per decade in Ireland, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 16 |
| 1970s | 66 |
| 1980s | 83 |
| 1990s | 174 |
| 2000s | 275 |
| 2010s | 411 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 281 |
What Conall means
Conall means strong wolf, or mighty hound. The first element is the Irish cú, genitive con, which covered both animals, and the second is read as strong or valorous, so the sense is a fierce fighter.
Where Conall comes from
Conall comes from the Irish Conall, from cú, genitive con, a hound or wolf, and an element generally read as strong. Its literary bearer is Conall Cernach, one of the great warriors of the Ulster Cycle and Cú Chulainn's foster-brother, who avenges him by killing Lugaid and carrying his head back to Emain Macha. History gives Conall Gulban, a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages and the founder of the Cenél Conaill, whose territory became Tír Conaill — the Irish name for County Donegal, which is why the county's Gaelic games teams still play under it. The name is unconnected to Connell as an English surname, which comes from Ó Conaill and is a separate derivation, and it should not be confused with Conal or Connall, which are spelling variants of the same name.
Conall in use
Conall ranks 97th in Ireland with 59 births in 2025 and 218th in Northern Ireland, and our records mark it stable with a peak in 2016. Our records carry it from 1983. Outside the island it is rare — 1,619th in England and Wales, 5,056th in the United States — and it is strongly associated with Donegal through Tír Conaill.
How popular is Conall?
In 2025, Conall was given to 59 babies in Ireland, ranking #97 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Conall is used
Irish figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. The Central Statistics Office began recording the síneadh fada in 2018, so accented and unaccented spellings are counted separately from that year on. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Conall
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Conall also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Conall over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Conall in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Conall
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Conall — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Conall
What does the name Conall mean?
Conall means "strong wolf," from the Irish cú, a hound or wolf, and an element meaning strong.
Who was Conall Cernach?
An Ulster Cycle hero and Cú Chulainn's foster-brother, who avenged his death.
Is Conall related to Donegal?
Yes. Tír Conaill, the land of Conall, is the Irish name for the county, after Conall Gulban.
How popular is Conall?
Ninety-seventh in Ireland and 218th in Northern Ireland.
Is Conall a girl's or a boy's name?
Conall is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
Is Conall a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Conall currently ranks #97 in Ireland. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.