O'Connor

name

"o-connor" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“O'Connor” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,027 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#13,027
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A patrilineal surname from Irish.

Key facts for O'Connor
PropertyValue
HeadwordO'Connor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,027
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “O'Connor” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). O'Connor lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for O'Connor is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun. Corpus data places it at rank #13,027 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for O'Connor, with forms such as "'oconnor", "o'cconnor", and "o'cnonor". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Anglicisation of Irish Ó Conchúir, meaning "descendant of Conor". The correct English form is O'Connor, spelled O-'-C-O-N-N-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A patrilineal surname from Irish.
  2. 2
    A place name:
  3. 3
    A place name:
  4. 4
    A place name:
  5. 5
    A place name:

Etymology

Anglicisation of Irish Ó Conchúir, meaning "descendant of Conor".

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: 'oconnor,o'cconnor,o'cnonor,o'connorr,o'connro,o'cononr,o'conor,o'ocnnor,oc'onnor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of O'Connor - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

'oconnor2o'cconnor1o'cnonor2o'connorr1o'connro2o'cononr2o'conor1o'ocnnor2
Edit distance from "O'Connor"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "O'Connor"?
"O'Connor" is spelled O-'-C-O-N-N-O-R.
What does "O'Connor" mean?
As a proper noun, "O'Connor" means: A patrilineal surname from Irish.
What are common misspellings of "O'Connor"?
Common misspellings include "'oconnor", "o'cconnor", "o'cnonor", "o'connorr", "o'connro". The correct spelling is "O'Connor".
What is the origin of the word "O'Connor"?
Anglicisation of Irish Ó Conchúir, meaning "descendant of Conor". See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “O'Connor”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-'-C-O-N-N-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list