Foley family name history and map
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Foley in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 8,802 people named Foley in Ireland, about 0.201% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 65th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 4,508 men and 4,285 women. (A small number, 9, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Foley in Ireland
Kerry had the largest share of Foleys, 22.2% (1,954 people). Next came Cork (1,879), Waterford (873), Dublin (659) and Wexford (511).
Foley average age in 1911
The average Foley in 1911 was 30.2 years old, 30.1 for men and 30.3 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.
Foley literacy in 1911
Of the Foleys whose literacy was recorded, 77.2% could both read and write, 3.1% could read but not write, and 19.6% 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.
Foley common first names
The most common male names were John (717), Patrick, Michael, James and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (731), followed by Bridget, Ellen, Margaret and Kate.
Foley occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Foley's census form was "Scholar"; 20.8% (1,830) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (14.7%), farm labourer (5.7%), general labourer (4.9%) and domestic servant (3.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 21% of all Foleys, followed by domestic service, general labourers and retail & commerce.
What religion is Foley?
Foleys were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 96.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (1%), Presbyterian (0.7%) and Methodist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Foley statistics (1911)
Number: 8,802
Rank: 65
Average Age: 30
Foley in the USA (2020)
Number: 49,766
Rank: 667
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.