O'Dowd family name history and map
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O'Dowd in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 577 people named O'Dowd in Ireland; roughly one in every 7,600 people carried the name. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 276 men and 301 women.
Counties with O'Dowd in Ireland
Sligo had the largest share of O'Dowds, 23.7% (137 people). Next came Dublin (125), Mayo (112), Roscommon (43) and Kerry (25).
O'Dowd average age in 1911
The average O'Dowd in 1911 was 29.2 years old, 29.7 for men and 28.8 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.
O'Dowd literacy in 1911
Of the O'Dowds whose literacy was recorded, 83.9% could both read and write, 2.9% could read but not write, and 13.2% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 86.5% reading and writing against 81.5% 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.
O'Dowd common first names
The most common male names were John (33), Patrick, Michael, Thomas and James; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (37), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Annie and Ellen; matching the national top five exactly.
O'Dowd occupations in 1911
The most common entry on an O'Dowd's census form was "Scholar"; 26.2% (151) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16.1%), shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (3.1%), teacher (2.6%) and domestic servant (2.1%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 18.5% of all O'Dowds, followed by retail & commerce, professional and domestic service.
What religion is O'Dowd?
O'Dowds were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 92.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (0.2%).
Visitor Notes
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Pete F
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O'Dowd statistics (1911)
Number: 577
Rank: 1,199
Average Age: 29
O'Dowd in the USA (2020)
Number: 1,894
Rank: 14,982
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.