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Foster family name history and map

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Ireland
Foster

Foster in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 2,169 people named Foster in Ireland, about 0.049% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 408th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,025 men and 1,143 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Foster in Ireland

Antrim had the largest share of Fosters, 23.2% (504 people). Next came Dublin (244), Down (243), Cavan (147) and Tyrone (143).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Foster average age in 1911

The average Foster in 1911 was 28.1 years old, 27.1 for men and 29.0 for women; a touch younger than 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.

Foster literacy in 1911

Of the Fosters whose literacy was recorded, 80.7% could both read and write, 3.1% could read but not write, and 16.3% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 81.7% reading and writing against 79.7% 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.

Foster common first names

The most common male names were John (108), James, William, Thomas and Robert. For women it was Mary (90), followed by Elizabeth, Margaret, Jane and Annie.

Foster occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Foster's census form was "Scholar"; 21.3% (462) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (11.8%), textile worker (3.5%), shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (2.4%) and general labourer (2.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 14.9% of all Fosters, followed by textiles & clothing, retail & commerce and domestic service.

What religion is Foster?

The largest religious group among Fosters was Anglican, at 33.7%. The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (29.6%), Roman Catholic (26.8%), Methodist (3.7%) and Plymouth Brethren (1.6%).
Map showing where Roman Catholic families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Anglican families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Presbyterian families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census

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Foster statistics (1911)

Number: 2,169
Rank: 408
Average Age: 28

Foster in the USA (2020)

Number: 218,824
Rank: 104

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

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