Shaughnessy family name history and map
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Shaughnessy in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 1,336 people named Shaughnessy in Ireland, about 0.03% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 630th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 684 men and 651 women. (A small number, 1, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Shaughnessy in Ireland
Galway was Shaughnessy country: 42.1% of them (563 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Limerick (163), Clare (121), Mayo (86) and Roscommon (69).

Shaughnessy average age in 1911
The average Shaughnessy in 1911 was 29.3 years old, 30.3 for men and 28.3 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.
Shaughnessy literacy in 1911
Of the Shaughnessys whose literacy was recorded, 74.6% could both read and write, 3.7% could read but not write, and 21.7% could do neither. Men came out slightly ahead, 76.5% reading and writing against 72.5% 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.
Shaughnessy common first names
The most common male names were John (117), Patrick, Michael, Thomas and James; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (142), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Kate.
Shaughnessy occupations in 1911
The most common occupation among Shaughnessys was farmer, 23.2% of them (310 people). Next came scholar / student (23.1%), farm labourer (4.6%), general labourer (4.3%) and domestic servant (2.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 28.4% of all Shaughnessys, followed by general labourers, domestic service and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Shaughnessy?
Shaughnessys were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 98.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (0.2%).

Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Shaughnessy statistics (1911)
Number: 1,336
Rank: 630
Average Age: 29
Shaughnessy in the USA (2020)
Number: 6,002
Rank: 5,592
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.