Purcell family name history and map
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Purcell in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 2,845 people named Purcell in Ireland, about 0.065% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 311th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,444 men and 1,400 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Purcell in Ireland
Kilkenny had the largest share of Purcells, 18.3% (521 people). Next came Dublin (519), Tipperary (452), Limerick (169) and Clare (160).
Purcell average age in 1911
The average Purcell in 1911 was 29.5 years old, 28.8 for men and 30.2 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.
Purcell literacy in 1911
Of the Purcells whose literacy was recorded, 79.4% could both read and write, 3.7% could read but not write, and 16.8% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 80.6% reading and writing against 78.1% 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.
Purcell common first names
The most common male names were John (221), Patrick, James, Thomas and Michael; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (263), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Kate.
Purcell occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Purcell's census form was "Scholar"; 21% (598) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (13.5%), general labourer (5%), farm labourer (4.4%) and domestic servant (3.9%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 18.9% of all Purcells, followed by domestic service, general labourers and retail & commerce.
What religion is Purcell?
Purcells were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 95.1% of them. The remainder were mostly Presbyterian (1.7%), Anglican (1.7%), Methodist (0.4%) and Jewish (0.2%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Purcell statistics (1911)
Number: 2,845
Rank: 311
Average Age: 30
Purcell in the USA (2020)
Number: 21,538
Rank: 1,620
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
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