Rourke family name history and map
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Rourke in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 3,042 people named Rourke in Ireland, about 0.069% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 286th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 1,573 men and 1,465 women. (A small number, 4, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Rourke in Ireland
Leitrim had the largest share of Rourkes, 14.6% (444 people). Next came Dublin (290), Kildare (195), Offaly (188) and Wexford (179).
Rourke average age in 1911
The average Rourke in 1911 was 31.9 years old, 31.6 for men and 32.2 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.
Rourke literacy in 1911
Of the Rourkes whose literacy was recorded, 75.9% could both read and write, 5% could read but not write, and 19% 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.
Rourke common first names
The most common male names were John (244), Patrick, Michael, Thomas and James; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (265), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Anne and Ellen.
Rourke occupations in 1911
The most common occupation among Rourkes was farmer, 17.9% of them (546 people). Next came scholar / student (17.3%), farm labourer (6.9%), general labourer (5.8%) and domestic servant (3.6%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 25.7% of all Rourkes, followed by general labourers, domestic service and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Rourke?
Rourkes were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 97% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (1.8%), Presbyterian (0.3%), Unitarian (0.1%) and Non-Conformist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Rourke statistics (1911)
Number: 3,042
Rank: 286
Average Age: 32
Rourke in the USA (2020)
Number: 3,520
Rank: 8,922
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.