O'Donnell family name history and map
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O'Donnell in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 13,550 people named O'Donnell in Ireland, about 0.309% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 29th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 6,723 men and 6,819 women. (A small number, 8, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with O'Donnell in Ireland
Donegal was O'Donnell country: 36.2% of them (4,909 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Limerick (1,201), Mayo (1,185), Tipperary (977) and Galway (813).
O'Donnell average age in 1911
The average O'Donnell in 1911 was 30.3 years old, 30.0 for men and 30.6 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.
O'Donnell literacy in 1911
Of the O'Donnells whose literacy was recorded, 70.1% could both read and write, 4.4% could read but not write, and 25.4% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 71.2% reading and writing against 69% 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.
O'Donnell common first names
The most common male names were John (1,039), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (1,233), followed by Bridget, Ellen, Annie and Margaret; matching the national top five exactly.
O'Donnell occupations in 1911
The most common occupation among O'Donnells was farmer, 22.1% of them (2,998 people). Next came scholar / student (21.2%), farm labourer (3.8%), general labourer (2.7%) and domestic servant (2.3%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 26.2% of all O'Donnells, followed by domestic service, textiles & clothing and general labourers.
What religion is O'Donnell?
O'Donnells were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 98% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (0.9%), Presbyterian (0.3%) and Methodist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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O'Donnell statistics (1911)
Number: 13,550
Rank: 29
Average Age: 30
O'Donnell in the USA (2020)
Number: 42,865
Rank: 784
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
