Conner is an alternate spelling of Connor — the Irish name meaning "lover of hounds" — and its 29 registry records almost certainly represent a crossover from the human naming pool. Connor/Conner was a solidly popular American given name through the 1990s and 2000s, meaning pets with this name are likely named after a person the owner knows or after the owner themselves in a junior naming tradition.
The Human Name Crossover
Connor (and its variant Conner) peaked in American human naming around 1997-2008 and remains a common name for millennials and older Gen Z. Pet owners in this demographic frequently name animals after themselves, siblings, or favorite human-name sounds from their generation. The human name Connor derives from the Irish Conchobar, with a genuine "hound" etymological connection that makes naming a dog Connor almost literally appropriate.
The Hound Etymology Easter Egg
The Irish root con means "hound" — making Connor one of the few human names where the etymology is literally about dogs. Irish wolfhounds and Irish setters suit the Gaelic heritage with obvious fidelity.
The Counter-Reading: Spelling Fragmentation
Connor, Conner, Connyr, Konor — the name has accumulated multiple spellings without a single dominant form. Conner specifically is the less common variant, adding a spelling layer to every vet interaction. Browse Irish-origin options at pet names.