O'Wens family name history and map
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O'Wens in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 2,822 people named O'Wens in Ireland, about 0.064% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 312th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,403 men and 1,415 women. (A small number, 4, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with O'Wens in Ireland
Antrim had the largest share of O'Wenses, 14.1% (397 people). Next came Dublin (382), Fermanagh (218), Tyrone (208) and Down (202).
O'Wens average age in 1911
The average O'Wens in 1911 was 30.9 years old, 29.9 for men and 31.8 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'Wens literacy in 1911
Of the O'Wenses whose literacy was recorded, 77.7% could both read and write, 4.7% could read but not write, and 17.6% 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.
O'Wens common first names
The most common male names were John (165), James, Patrick, Thomas and William. For women it was Mary (197), followed by Bridget, Catherine, Annie and Ellen.
O'Wens occupations in 1911
The most common entry on an O'Wens's census form was "Scholar"; 19.1% (539) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (14%), farm labourer (4%), general labourer (3.5%) and domestic servant (2.9%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 18.6% of all O'Wenses, followed by domestic service, textiles & clothing and general labourers.
What religion is O'Wens?
O'Wenses were predominantly Roman Catholic (79.7%). The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (9.9%), Anglican (7.3%), Methodist (1%) and Baptist (0.4%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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O'Wens statistics (1911)
Number: 2,822
Rank: 312
Average Age: 31
O'Wens in the USA (2020)
Number: 175,160
Rank: 143
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.