William Oconnell

(male) Probably the most successful of all the Old French names of Germanic origin that were introduced to England by the Normans. It is derived from Germanic wil ‘will, desire’ + helm ‘helmet, protection’. The fact that it was borne by the Conqueror himself does not seem to have inhibited its favour with the ‘conquered’ population: in the first century after the Conquest it was the commonest male name of all, and not only among the Normans. In the later Middle Ages it was overtaken by John, but continued to run second to that name until the 20th century, when the picture became more fragmented.

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Conaill ‘descendant of Conall’, a personal name, possibly composed of the elements con, from cú ‘hound’ or ‘wolf’ (genitive con) + gal ‘valour’. It was borne by many early chieftains and warriors of Ireland, including the Ulster hero Conall Cearnach, one of the two sons of Niall of the Nine Hostages, who gave his name to Tirconell, otherwise known as Donegal. It was further popularized by the fame of a 7th-century Irish saint, abbot of Inis Caoil.