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Maxwell family name history and map

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Ireland
Maxwell

Maxwell in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 2,434 people named Maxwell in Ireland, about 0.056% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 366th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,214 men and 1,219 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Maxwell in Ireland

Antrim had the largest share of Maxwells, 24.3% (591 people). Next came Down (583), Dublin (231), Tyrone (129) and Armagh (124).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Maxwell average age in 1911

The average Maxwell in 1911 was 29.8 years old, 28.7 for men and 30.9 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.

Maxwell literacy in 1911

Of the Maxwells whose literacy was recorded, 81.9% could both read and write, 3.5% could read but not write, and 14.4% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 83.2% reading and writing against 80.7% 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.

Maxwell common first names

The most common male names were James (135), John, William, Thomas and Robert. For women it was Mary (95), followed by Annie, Jane, Elizabeth and Margaret.

Maxwell occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Maxwell's census form was "Scholar"; 20.4% (497) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (11.3%), textile worker (5.8%), general labourer (3.7%) and shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (2.8%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 14.5% of all Maxwells, followed by textiles & clothing, general labourers and retail & commerce.

What religion is Maxwell?

The largest religious group among Maxwells was Presbyterian, at 35%. The remainder were mostly Anglican (29.2%), Roman Catholic (27.4%), Methodist (2.3%) and Unitarian (2.1%).
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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Pete F
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Maxwell statistics (1911)

Number: 2,434
Rank: 366
Average Age: 30

Maxwell in the USA (2020)

Number: 65,829
Rank: 497

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

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Also see...

Mescall
151 people in 1911
Miskell
109 people in 1911
Meskill
39 people in 1911

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