Murtagh family name history and map
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Murtagh in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 2,682 people named Murtagh in Ireland, about 0.061% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 329th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,333 men and 1,344 women. (A small number, 5, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Murtagh in Ireland
Dublin had the largest share of Murtaghs, 19.5% (523 people). Next came Westmeath (312), Mayo (283), Meath (244) and Longford (234).
Murtagh average age in 1911
The average Murtagh in 1911 was 30.4 years old, 29.8 for men and 31.1 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.
Murtagh literacy in 1911
Of the Murtaghs whose literacy was recorded, 77.6% could both read and write, 3.7% could read but not write, and 18.5% could do neither. Women came out slightly ahead, 79% reading and writing against 76.2% of men. 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.
Murtagh common first names
The most common male names were John (179), Patrick, James, Thomas and Michael; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (198), followed by Bridget, Annie, Margaret and Anne.
Murtagh occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Murtagh's census form was "Scholar"; 19.3% (517) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (17.7%), farm labourer (4.5%), general labourer (3.8%) and domestic servant (3.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 22.7% of all Murtaghs, followed by domestic service, general labourers and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Murtagh?
Murtaghs were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 94.5% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (2.5%) and Methodist (0.4%).
Visitor Notes
Review type for post source and surnames source type not found
Added by
Pete F
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Murtagh statistics (1911)
Number: 2,682
Rank: 329
Average Age: 30
Murtaghin the USA (2020)
Number: 1,766
Rank: 15,879
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
