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Nelson family name history and map

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Ireland
Nelson

Nelson in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 2,682 people named Nelson in Ireland, about 0.061% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 329th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,246 men and 1,431 women. (A small number, 5, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Nelson in Ireland

Antrim was Nelson country: 33.2% of them (891 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Down (664), Derry (196), Tyrone (182) and Dublin (172).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Nelson average age in 1911

The average Nelson in 1911 was 29.7 years old, 28.6 for men and 30.6 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.

Nelson literacy in 1911

Of the Nelsons whose literacy was recorded, 81.6% could both read and write, 3.6% could read but not write, and 14.8% 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.

Nelson common first names

The most common male names were James (132), John, William, Robert and Thomas. For women it was Mary (132), followed by Jane, Margaret, Elizabeth and Annie.

Nelson occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Nelson's census form was "Scholar"; 19.2% (516) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (8.2%), textile worker (4.7%), general labourer (4%) and shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (2.6%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 10.7% of all Nelsons, followed by textiles & clothing, general labourers and retail & commerce.

What religion is Nelson?

The largest religious group among Nelsons was Presbyterian, at 36.5%. The remainder were mostly Anglican (31.9%), Roman Catholic (20.5%), Methodist (3.6%) and Unitarian (3.1%).
Map showing where Roman Catholic families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Anglican families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Presbyterian families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census

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Pete F
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Nelson statistics (1911)

Number: 2,682
Rank: 329
Average Age: 30

Nelson in the USA (2020)

Number: 410,801
Rank: 44

Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero. 

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Also see...

Neill
6047 people in 1911

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