Cavanagh family name history and map
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Cavanagh in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 1,405 people named Cavanagh in Ireland, about 0.032% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 606th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 713 men and 692 women.
Counties with Cavanagh in Ireland
Dublin had the largest share of Cavanaghs, 12.1% (170 people). Next came Mayo (145), Donegal (121), Tipperary (114) and Galway (88).
Cavanagh average age in 1911
The average Cavanagh in 1911 was 30.2 years old, 30.3 for men and 30.0 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.
Cavanagh literacy in 1911
Of the Cavanaghs whose literacy was recorded, 73.7% could both read and write, 4% could read but not write, and 22.3% could do neither. Women came out slightly ahead, 75.4% reading and writing against 72% of men. 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.
Cavanagh common first names
The most common male names were James (88), John, Michael, Patrick and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (97), followed by Bridget, Ellen, Catherine and Annie.
Cavanagh occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Cavanagh's census form was "Scholar"; 19.9% (279) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16.8%), general labourer (4.3%), farm labourer (3.8%) and domestic servant (2.8%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 21.3% of all Cavanaghs, followed by general labourers, domestic service and retail & commerce.
What religion is Cavanagh?
Cavanaghs were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 93% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (5.1%), Salvation Army (0.4%), Methodist (0.1%) and Presbyterian (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Cavanagh statistics (1911)
Number: 1,405
Rank: 606
Average Age: 30
Cavanaghin the USA (2020)
Number: 4,077
Rank: 7,805
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
