Riordan family name history and map
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Riordan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 4,806 people named Riordan in Ireland, about 0.11% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 163rd most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,469 men and 2,332 women. (A small number, 5, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Riordan in Ireland
The Riordans were heavily concentrated in Cork, home to 56.9% of them (2,737 people). Next came Kerry (1,070), Limerick (505), Tipperary (188) and Waterford (70).
Riordan average age in 1911
The average Riordan in 1911 was 29.6 years old, 29.4 for men and 29.7 for women; almost exactly in line with the national averages of 29.6 for men and 30.5 for women. That low figure reflects just how many children there were in Edwardian Ireland, along with high infant mortality and the limits of public health at the time. For comparison, average life expectancy in Ireland today is around 83.
Riordan literacy in 1911
Of the Riordans whose literacy was recorded, 77% could both read and write, 2.9% could read but not write, and 20.2% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 78.3% reading and writing against 75.5% of women. Bear in mind these figures include young children; the census itself only counted people aged nine and over when calculating illiteracy, on the grounds that it was unfair to label a child illiterate before they'd had a chance to learn.
Riordan common first names
The most common male names were John (414), Michael, Patrick, Timothy and Daniel. For women it was Mary (410), followed by Margaret, Ellen, Bridget and Julia.
Riordan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Riordan's census form was "Scholar"; 20.7% (996) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16.2%), farm labourer (6%), general labourer (4.4%) and domestic servant (3.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 22.9% of all Riordans, followed by domestic service, general labourers and retail & commerce.
What religion is Riordan?
Riordans were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 99.4% of them. The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Riordan statistics (1911)
Number: 4,806
Rank: 163
Average Age: 30
Riordan in the USA (2020)
Number: 7,544
Rank: 4,565
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.