McGowan family name history and map
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McGowan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 4,791 people named McGowan in Ireland, about 0.109% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 164th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,401 men and 2,383 women. (A small number, 7, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with McGowan in Ireland
Leitrim was McGowan country: 27.1% of them (1,297 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Sligo (769), Antrim (463), Mayo (447) and Donegal (445).
McGowan average age in 1911
The average McGowan in 1911 was 31.2 years old, 31.0 for men and 31.5 for women; slightly older 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.
McGowan literacy in 1911
Of the McGowans whose literacy was recorded, 74.5% could both read and write, 4.8% could read but not write, and 20.7% 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.
McGowan common first names
The most common male names were John (333), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (350), followed by Bridget, Ellen, Catherine and Margaret.
McGowan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a McGowan's census form was "Scholar"; 20.9% (1,001) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (20.8%), farm labourer (3.5%), general labourer (3%) and domestic servant (2.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 24.7% of all McGowans, followed by textiles & clothing, domestic service and general labourers.
What religion is McGowan?
McGowans were predominantly Roman Catholic (82.4%). The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (8.1%), Anglican (5.2%), Methodist (0.8%) and Plymouth Brethren (0.3%).
Visitor Notes
Review type for post source and surnames source type not found
Added by
Pete F
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McGowan statistics (1911)
Number: 4,791
Rank: 164
Average Age: 31
McGowan in the USA (2020)
Number: 31,927
Rank: 1,080
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
