Duncan family name history and map
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Duncan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 1,651 people named Duncan in Ireland, about 0.038% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 529th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 801 men and 850 women.
Counties with Duncan in Ireland
Antrim was Duncan country: 26.4% of them (436 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Down (202), Tyrone (184), Dublin (183) and Donegal (164).
Duncan average age in 1911
The average Duncan in 1911 was 31.0 years old, 30.9 for men and 31.1 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.
Duncan literacy in 1911
Of the Duncans whose literacy was recorded, 81.9% could both read and write, 3.1% could read but not write, and 15% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 83.7% reading and writing against 80.2% 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.
Duncan common first names
The most common male names were James (85), John, William, Thomas and Robert. For women it was Mary (73), followed by Margaret, Elizabeth, Sarah and Jane.
Duncan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Duncan's census form was "Scholar"; 17.7% (293) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (10.7%), shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (4.1%), textile worker (3.9%) and general labourer (3.5%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 13.7% of all Duncans, followed by textiles & clothing, retail & commerce and domestic service.
What religion is Duncan?
The largest religious group among Duncans was Presbyterian, at 36%. The remainder were mostly Anglican (31.7%), Roman Catholic (23%), Methodist (4.2%) and Plymouth Brethren (0.7%).
Duncan statistics (1911)
Number: 1,651
Rank: 529
Average Age: 31
Duncan in the USA (2020)
Number: 129,708
Rank: 222
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
Ref: duncan
Family Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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