Colgan family name history
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Colgan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 1,383 people named Colgan in Ireland, about 0.032% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 614th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 685 men and 697 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Colgan in Ireland
Dublin had the largest share of Colgans, 20.2% (279 people). Next came Offaly (215), Antrim (144), Westmeath (97) and Kildare (78).
Colgan average age in 1911
The average Colgan in 1911 was 30.6 years old, 30.7 for men and 30.5 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.
Colgan literacy in 1911
Of the Colgans whose literacy was recorded, 80.6% could both read and write, 3.6% could read but not write, and 15.7% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 82.3% reading and writing against 79.1% 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.
Colgan common first names
The most common male names were John (114), Patrick, Thomas, James and Michael; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (96), followed by Margaret, Bridget, Annie and Catherine.
Colgan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Colgan's census form was "Scholar"; 17.9% (247) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (14.9%), general labourer (5.3%), farm labourer (3%) and domestic servant (3%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 18.9% of all Colgans, followed by general labourers, domestic service and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Colgan?
Colgans were predominantly Roman Catholic (84.9%). The remainder were mostly Anglican (10.6%), Presbyterian (3.8%), Methodist (0.1%) and Plymouth Brethren (0.1%).
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Pete F
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Colgan statistics (1911)
1,383 in Ireland
614 most common surname in Ireland
31 average age
Colganin the USA (2020)
3,354 in USA (2020)
9,313 rank in USA (2020)
