Dowd family name history and map
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Dowd in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 2,503 people named Dowd in Ireland, about 0.057% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 353rd most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,264 men and 1,238 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Dowd in Ireland
Kerry had the largest share of Dowds, 15.5% (389 people). Next came Roscommon (365), Galway (301), Sligo (233) and Dublin (213).
Dowd average age in 1911
The average Dowd in 1911 was 30.1 years old, 30.1 for men and 30.1 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.
Dowd literacy in 1911
Of the Dowds whose literacy was recorded, 75.7% could both read and write, 3.8% could read but not write, and 20.5% 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.
Dowd common first names
The most common male names were John (189), Patrick, Thomas, Michael and James; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (230), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Kate.
Dowd occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Dowd's census form was "Scholar"; 22.2% (555) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (19.7%), farm labourer (5%), general labourer (3.8%) and domestic servant (2.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 25.6% of all Dowds, followed by general labourers, domestic service and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Dowd?
Dowds were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 97% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (2%), Quaker (0.4%) and Presbyterian (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Dowd statistics (1911)
Number: 2,503
Rank: 353
Average Age: 30
Dowd in the USA (2020)
Number: 13,092
Rank: 2,686
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.