| Sullivan | Conor | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark-eyed (disputed) | Lover of hounds |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SUHL-ih-vuhn | KON-er |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1884 | 1961 |
| Peak year | 2025 (1,083) | 1993 (1,250) |
| In 2025 | 1,083 | 292 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Sullivan | Conor |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5,564 | 3,021 |
| 2010s | 6,428 | 6,939 |
| 2000s | 2,135 | 5,938 |
| 1990s | 535 | 8,244 |
| 1980s | 83 | 2,676 |
| 1970s | 86 | 482 |
| 1960s | 85 | 80 |
| 1950s | 129 | 0 |
| 1940s | 114 | 0 |
| 1930s | 110 | 0 |
| 1920s | 141 | 0 |
| 1910s | 122 | 0 |
| 1900s | 10 | 0 |
| 1890s | 63 | 0 |
| 1880s | 30 | 0 |
Anglicized from Irish O Suilleabhain, from 'suil' meaning 'eye' plus a second element usually read as 'dubh' (dark/black), giving 'dark-eyed'. The second element is disputed; alternative readings give 'one-eyed' or 'hawk-eyed', so the 'dark' sense is probable rather than certain.
Conor, from Conchobhar, is usually read “lover of hounds” or “desiring.”
Sullivan is more popular than Conor today: about 1,083 US babies were given the name Sullivan in 2025, compared with 292 named Conor.
Sullivan means dark-eyed (disputed) (irish origin), while Conor means Lover of hounds (Irish origin).
In US records, Sullivan first appears in 1884 and Conor in 1961, so Sullivan has the longer recorded history.