Donovan family name history and map
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Donovan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 8,577 people named Donovan in Ireland, about 0.196% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 70th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 4,324 men and 4,240 women. (A small number, 13, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Donovan in Ireland
The Donovans were heavily concentrated in Cork, home to 76.7% of them (6,582 people). Next came Limerick (369), Tipperary (303), Dublin (299) and Waterford (220).
Donovan average age in 1911
The average Donovan in 1911 was 30.1 years old, 29.9 for men and 30.4 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.
Donovan literacy in 1911
Of the Donovans whose literacy was recorded, 78.5% could both read and write, 3% could read but not write, and 18.5% 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.
Donovan common first names
The most common male names were John (701), Patrick, Michael, James and Daniel. For women it was Mary (799), followed by Ellen, Margaret, Bridget and Kate.
Donovan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Donovan's census form was "Scholar"; 19.6% (1,683) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16%), farm labourer (5.5%), general labourer (5.1%) and domestic servant (3.6%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 22.2% of all Donovans, followed by general labourers, domestic service and retail & commerce.
What religion is Donovan?
Donovans were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 98% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (1.3%) and Methodist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Donovan statistics (1911)
Number: 8,577
Rank: 70
Average Age: 30
Donovanin the USA (2020)
Number: 38,902
Rank: 878
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
