Smith family name history and map
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Smith in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 15,327 people named Smith in Ireland, about 0.35% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 21st most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 7,669 men and 7,614 women. (A small number, 44, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Smith in Ireland
Cavan had the largest share of Smiths, 23.6% (3,620 people). Next came Dublin (2,416), Antrim (1,749), Down (1,344) and Meath (1,015).
Smith average age in 1911
The average Smith in 1911 was 30.3 years old, 29.9 for men and 30.7 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.
Smith literacy in 1911
Of the Smiths whose literacy was recorded, 78.8% could both read and write, 4% could read but not write, and 17.2% 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.
Smith common first names
The most common male names were John (897), James, Patrick, Thomas and William. For women it was Mary (902), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Annie and Elizabeth.
Smith occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Smith's census form was "Scholar"; 19.3% (2,954) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (12.4%), general labourer (4.3%), farm labourer (4%) and domestic servant (3.4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 17.2% of all Smiths, followed by domestic service, general labourers and textiles & clothing.
What religion is Smith?
Most Smiths, 62.2%, were Roman Catholic. The remainder were mostly Anglican (21.3%), Presbyterian (11.5%), Methodist (2.1%) and Plymouth Brethren (0.3%).
Visitor Notes
Review type for post source and surnames source type not found
Added by
Pete F
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Smith statistics (1911)
Number: 15,327
Rank: 21
Average Age: 30
Smithin the USA (2020)
Number: 2,369,644
Rank: 1
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.
