Family tree forms for recording family groups

Size of families

Irish families were remarkably larger than in other European countries. This was noted throughout the 19th century by politicians and other commentators. While I don't dispute these observations, I've not been able to find any statistical evidence to show here. However, the 1911 census found that women who had married between 1877 and 1881 averaged 6.8 children each. It is a very high average number, and explains why the size of my grandfather's family (11 children) and my grandmother's family (10 children) were not so exceptional in the first decade of the 20th century.

Indeed, by 1946, families of 10 children or more still made up 13% of all families in the Republic. The largest single group were the 33% of families with 6-9 children, followed by 30% of families with 3-5 children. Families with only one or two children made up under 13%, while those without any children made up the remaining 10% of family groups.

Between 1946 and 1982 the number of families with 6 or more children fell dramatically, from 28,000 to 16,000.

Since most Irish genealogy researchers are studying 19th century ancestors, I've made sure the family tree forms downloadable on this page cater for families with up to 12 children!