Phelan family name history and map
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Phelan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 4,624 people named Phelan in Ireland, about 0.106% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 168th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,334 men and 2,287 women. (A small number, 3, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Phelan in Ireland
Kilkenny was Phelan country: 27.1% of them (1,252 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Laois (1,087), Waterford (781), Tipperary (522) and Dublin (445).
Phelan average age in 1911
The average Phelan in 1911 was 31.8 years old, 31.3 for men and 32.2 for women; slightly older than 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.
Phelan literacy in 1911
Of the Phelans whose literacy was recorded, 83.1% could both read and write, 2.7% could read but not write, and 14.1% could do neither. The figures were much the same for men and 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.
Phelan common first names
The most common male names were John (330), Patrick, James, Thomas and Michael; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (425), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Catherine.
Phelan occupations in 1911
The most common occupation among Phelans was farmer, 19.1% of them (883 people). Next came scholar / student (18.6%), farm labourer (4.1%), domestic servant (4%) and general labourer (4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 23.7% of all Phelans, followed by domestic service, retail & commerce and general labourers.
What religion is Phelan?
Phelans were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 99% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (0.6%) and Methodist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Pete F
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Phelan statistics (1911)
Number: 4,624
Rank: 168
Average Age: 32
Phelan in the USA (2020)
Number: 10,291
Rank: 3,397
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.