Willis family name history and map

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Willis in 1911 Ireland

The 1911 Census recorded 1,098 people named Willis in Ireland, about 0.025% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 729th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 515 men and 580 women. (A small number, 3, had no sex recorded.)

Counties with Willis in Ireland

Antrim had the largest share of Willises, 22.9% (251 people). Next came Cork (164), Armagh (161), Down (115) and Dublin (107).
Surname distribution map, 1911 census

Willis average age in 1911

The average Willis in 1911 was 29.3 years old, 28.0 for men and 30.4 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.

Willis literacy in 1911

Of the Willises whose literacy was recorded, 84% could both read and write, 2.5% could read but not write, and 13.4% could do neither. Women came out slightly ahead, 85.7% reading and writing against 82.1% of men. 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.

Willis common first names

The most common male names were William (58), John, Thomas, James and Robert. For women it was Mary (49), followed by Annie, Elizabeth, Margaret and Jane.

Willis occupations in 1911

The most common entry on a Willis's census form was "Scholar"; 21.2% (233) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (9.8%), textile worker (6%), general labourer (3.6%) and shopkeeper / shop assistant / dealer (2.9%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 11.9% of all Willises, followed by textiles & clothing, retail & commerce and domestic service.

What religion is Willis?

Most Willises, 54.2%, were Anglican. The remainder were mostly Roman Catholic (24.5%), Presbyterian (12%), Methodist (6.6%) and Plymouth Brethren (1.3%).

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Pete F
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Willis statistics (1911)

Number: 1,098
Rank: 729
Average Age: 29

Willis in the USA (2020)

Number: 125,122
Rank: 242

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

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