Watson family name history and map
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Watson in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 4,541 people named Watson in Ireland, about 0.104% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 176th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,176 men and 2,352 women. (A small number, 13, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Watson in Ireland
Antrim was Watson country: 25.9% of them (1,176 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Down (1,000), Dublin (378), Armagh (372) and Tyrone (295).
Watson average age in 1911
The average Watson in 1911 was 29.3 years old, 28.3 for men and 30.3 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.
Watson literacy in 1911
Of the Watsons whose literacy was recorded, 81.4% could both read and write, 3.4% could read but not write, and 15.2% 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.
Watson common first names
The most common male names were John (209), James, William, Robert and Thomas. For women it was Mary (193), followed by Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah and Jane.
Watson occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Watson's census form was "Scholar"; 20.5% (929) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (9.4%), textile worker (6.2%), general labourer (3.2%) and farm labourer (2.5%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 12.5% of all Watsons, followed by textiles & clothing, retail & commerce and domestic service.
What religion is Watson?
The largest religious group among Watsons was Anglican, at 40.2%. The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (29.8%), Roman Catholic (19.3%), Methodist (5.7%) and Plymouth Brethren (1.2%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Watson statistics (1911)
Number: 4,541
Rank: 176
Average Age: 29
Watson in the USA (2020)
Number: 242,956
Rank: 87
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
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