Gray family name history and map

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Gray in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 4,035 people named Gray in Ireland, about 0.092% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 219th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,019 men and 2,011 women. (A small number, 5, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Gray in Ireland

Antrim had the largest share of Grays, 24.9% (1,004 people). Next came Down (656), Dublin (434), Armagh (301) and Derry (186).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Gray average age in 1911

The average Gray in 1911 was 29.1 years old, 28.2 for men and 29.9 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.

Gray literacy in 1911

Of the Grays whose literacy was recorded, 80.1% could both read and write, 3.6% could read but not write, and 16.3% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 81.2% reading and writing against 79% 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.

Gray common first names

The most common male names were John (246), James, William, Thomas and Robert. For women it was Mary (160), followed by Margaret, Elizabeth, Annie and Sarah.

Gray occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Gray's census form was "Scholar"; 21.2% (856) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (10.6%), general labourer (4.1%), textile worker (3.6%) and shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (2.8%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 13.7% of all Grays, followed by textiles & clothing, general labourers and retail & commerce.

What religion is Gray?

The largest religious group among Grays was Roman Catholic, at 36%. The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (32.7%), Anglican (24%), Methodist (3.6%) and Plymouth Brethren (1%).

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Gray statistics (1911)

Number: 4,035
Rank: 219
Average Age: 29

Gray in the USA (2020)

Number: 241,208
Rank: 89

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

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Grey
550 people in 1911

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