Walsh family name history and map

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Walsh in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 34,304 people named Walsh in Ireland, about 0.783% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 3rd most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 17,392 men and 16,877 women. (A small number, 35, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Walsh in Ireland

Cork had the largest share of Walshes, 14.5% (4,991 people). Next came Mayo (4,172), Dublin (3,543), Galway (3,374) and Kilkenny (2,781).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Walsh average age in 1911

The average Walsh in 1911 was 30.1 years old, 29.6 for men and 30.5 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.

Walsh literacy in 1911

Of the Walshes whose literacy was recorded, 75.7% could both read and write, 3.6% could read but not write, and 20.7% 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.

Walsh common first names

The most common male names were John (2,696), Patrick, James, Thomas and Michael; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (3,058), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Catherine.

Walsh occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Walsh's census form was "Scholar"; 20.6% (7,053) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (16.6%), farm labourer (4.5%), general labourer (4.3%) and domestic servant (3.1%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 21.6% of all Walshes, followed by domestic service, general labourers and retail & commerce.

What religion is Walsh?

Walshes were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 95.4% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (2.7%), Presbyterian (0.6%) and Methodist (0.1%).
Map showing where Roman Catholic families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Anglican families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census
Map showing where Presbyterian families of this surname lived in Ireland, 1911 census

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Walsh statistics (1911)

Number: 34,304
Rank: 3
Average Age: 30

Walsh in the USA (2020)

Number: 101,867
Rank: 302

Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero. 

Ref: walsh

Also see...

Wallace
5370 people in 1911
Walshe
2678 people in 1911

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