Heffernan family name history and map

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Heffernan

Heffernan in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 2,555 people named Heffernan in Ireland, about 0.058% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 345th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,296 men and 1,256 women. (A small number, 3, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Heffernan in Ireland

Tipperary was Heffernan country: 26.1% of them (667 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Limerick (328), Dublin (294), Cork (257) and Kerry (201).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Heffernan average age in 1911

The average Heffernan in 1911 was 30.1 years old, 29.7 for men and 30.5 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.

Heffernan literacy in 1911

Of the Heffernans whose literacy was recorded, 79.5% could both read and write, 2.6% could read but not write, and 17.8% 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.

Heffernan common first names

The most common male names were John (201), Patrick, Michael, James and William. For women it was Mary (228), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Kate.

Heffernan occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Heffernan's census form was "Scholar"; 18.7% (479) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (13.4%), general labourer (5.6%), farm labourer (4.6%) and domestic servant (3.1%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 18.6% of all Heffernans, followed by general labourers, domestic service and retail & commerce.

What religion is Heffernan?

Heffernans were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 98.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (0.4%).

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Heffernan statistics (1911)

Number: 2,555
Rank: 345
Average Age: 30

Heffernanin the USA (2020)

Number: 6,562
Rank: 5,151

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

Ref: heffernan

Places

Also see...

Hernon
344 people in 1911

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