Whelan family name history and map
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Whelan in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 8,277 people named Whelan in Ireland, about 0.189% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 74th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 4,130 men and 4,131 women. (A small number, 16, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Whelan in Ireland
Dublin had the largest share of Whelans, 24.7% (2,048 people). Next came Laois (868), Waterford (857), Wexford (828) and Tipperary (470).
Whelan average age in 1911
The average Whelan in 1911 was 29.4 years old, 29.2 for men and 29.5 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.
Whelan literacy in 1911
Of the Whelans whose literacy was recorded, 75.6% could both read and write, 4% could read but not write, and 20.3% 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.
Whelan common first names
The most common male names were John (621), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (761), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and Catherine.
Whelan occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Whelan's census form was "Scholar"; 20.2% (1,668) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (10.8%), general labourer (6.1%), farm labourer (5%) and domestic servant (4%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 16.6% of all Whelans, followed by general labourers, domestic service and retail & commerce.
What religion is Whelan?
Whelans were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 97.3% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (1.7%), Methodist (0.1%) and Presbyterian (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Whelan statistics (1911)
Number: 8,277
Rank: 74
Average Age: 29
Whelan in the USA (2020)
Number: 11,139
Rank: 3,162
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.