Conchobhar: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Conchobhar is an Irish boy's name meaning “lover of hounds.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Meaning
- Lover of hounds
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Conor, Connor
How do you pronounce Conchobhar?
Conchobhar is pronounced CON-r. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Conchobhar mean?
Conchobhar is the old Irish name behind Conor and Connor. It comes from Old Irish cú “hound, dog, wolf” and cobar “desiring,” so it is often explained as “lover of hounds” or “lover of wolves.” Patrick Woulfe, writing in 1923, gave the meaning as “high will” or “desire” and noted that it was then usually anglicised Cornelius.
In the Ulster Cycle, Conchobar mac Nessa is king of Ulster at Emain Macha; a later tale has him born on the same day as Christ. He promised safe passage home to Deirdre and her lover Naoise, then had Naoise and his brothers killed. A “brain ball” slung by Cet mac Mágach lodged in his head, and years later, when news of Christ’s death enraged him, it burst out and he died.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923).
How popular is Conchobhar in Ireland?
Conchobhar is rare in Ireland. Since 1964, fewer than three baby boys a year have been registered with the name, so it doesn't appear in the Central Statistics Office's baby name tables.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies’ Names 2025 and its boys' names table.
Conchobhar in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Conchobhar, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- OOnn, gorse
- NNion, ash
- CColl, hazel
- HUath, hawthorn
- OOnn, gorse
- BBeith, birch
- HUath, hawthorn
- AAilm, pine
- RRuis, elder
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Conchobhar
Questions about Conchobhar
- How do you pronounce Conchobhar?
- Conchobhar is pronounced CON-r, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Conchobhar mean?
- Conchobhar is an Irish boy's name meaning “lover of hounds.”
- Is Conchobhar a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Conchobhar is a boy's name.
- What is Conchobhar in English?
- The English forms of Conchobhar are Conor and Connor.
- Is Conchobhar a rare name?
- Yes. Fewer than three boys a year are registered as Conchobhar in Ireland, too few to appear in the Central Statistics Office's tables.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA50 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Behind the Name, Wikipedia and Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923). How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com