Brien family name history and map
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Brien in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 6,434 people named Brien in Ireland, about 0.147% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 110th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 3,388 men and 3,041 women. (A small number, 5, had no sex recorded.)
Counties and map with Brien in Ireland
Cork had the largest share of Briens, 18.6% (1,194 people). Next came Wexford (772), Dublin (745), Wicklow (571) and Tipperary (478).
Brien average age in 1911
The average Brien in 1911 was 30.2 years old, 29.9 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.
Brien literacy in 1911
Of the Briens whose literacy was recorded, 72.1% could both read and write, 4.1% could read but not write, and 23.8% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 73% reading and writing against 71% 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.
Brien common first names
The most common male names were John (556), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (585), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Kate.
Brien occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Brien's census form was "Scholar"; 18.4% (1,186) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (11.7%), farm labourer (7.6%), general labourer (7.2%) and domestic servant (4.1%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 20.4% of all Briens, followed by general labourers, domestic service and transport.
What religion is Brien?
Briens were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 97.3% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (1.5%), Methodist (0.4%) and Baptist (0.2%).
Visitor Notes
Review type for post source and surnames source type not found
Added by
Pete F
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Brien statistics (1911)
Number: 6,434
Rank: 110
Average Age: 30
Brien in the USA (2020)
Number: 2,637
Rank: 11,426
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it may show as zero.
