Cunningham family name history and map

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Cunningham

Cunningham in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 8,970 people named Cunningham in Ireland, about 0.205% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 61st most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 4,379 men and 4,585 women. (A small number, 6, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Cunningham in Ireland

Down had the largest share of Cunninghams, 14.4% (1,295 people). Next came Antrim (884), Galway (719), Dublin (698) and Donegal (582).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Cunningham average age in 1911

The average Cunningham in 1911 was 29.7 years old, 29.6 for men and 29.7 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.

Cunningham literacy in 1911

Of the Cunninghams whose literacy was recorded, 76% could both read and write, 4.2% could read but not write, and 19.7% 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.

Cunningham common first names

The most common male names were John (596), James, Patrick, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (695), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Catherine and Ellen.

Cunningham occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Cunningham's census form was "Scholar"; 19.9% (1,789) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16.6%), general labourer (4.2%), farm labourer (3.6%) and textile worker (2.7%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 20.6% of all Cunninghams, followed by textiles & clothing, general labourers and domestic service.

What religion is Cunningham?

Cunninghams were predominantly Roman Catholic (78.8%). The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (10.3%), Anglican (7.9%), Methodist (0.9%) and Congregationalist (0.2%).

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Pete F
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Cunningham statistics (1911)

Number: 8,970
Rank: 61
Average Age: 30

Cunninghamin the USA (2020)

Number: 128,869
Rank: 229

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

Ref: cunningham

Places

Also see...

Conway
6767 people in 1911
Conboy
424 people in 1911
Convey
264 people in 1911
Kinaghan
2 people in 1911

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