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Bronte Family History

Bronte Name Meaning

Irish: altered form of Brunty see Prunty . The change in spelling to Brontë in the Bronte literary family (Charlotte Emily and Anne) was made by their father Patrick Brunty for reasons unknown. It may have been an affectation in imitation of the Duke of Brontë a title conferred on Admiral Lord Nelson in 1799 by Ferdinand King of Sicily. Bronte is the name of a place in Sicily literally meaning ‘thunder’. Nelson generally signed himself Nelson and Brontë. English (Sussex) and Irish: variant of Brunt .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Krone, Brouse, Bolte, Conte, Route, Broe, Brunke, Bryne, Ronne, Boone

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Bronte family from?

You can see how Bronte families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bronte family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Bronte families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 7 Bronte families living in Surrey. This was about 78% of all the recorded Bronte's in United Kingdom. Surrey had the highest population of Bronte families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bronte surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Bronte ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Bronte. 67% of Bronte men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Bronte | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Laborer
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Bronte family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Bronte. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bronte census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bronte

Passenger Lists

There are 303 immigration records available for the last name Bronte. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bronte immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 176 military records available for the last name Bronte. For the veterans among your Bronte ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bronte military records

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What is the average Bronte lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Bronte life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Bronte in 1961 was 54, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bronte

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