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Brain Family History

Brain Surname Meaning

English: apparently a nickname from Middle English brain ‘brain mind’ probably short for brainwod ‘mad in the mind furious’. Compare Brainard.

Irish (Down) and Scottish: shortened Anglicized form of Irish Mac an Bhreitheamhan Scottish Gaelic Mac a' Bhreitheamhan ‘son of the judge’ from breitheamh ‘judge’.

Compare Braham.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Brain family from?

You can see how Brain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brain families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,001 Brain families living in Gloucestershire. This was about 31% of all the recorded Brain's in United Kingdom. Gloucestershire had the highest population of Brain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Brain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Brain. 9% of Brain men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Brain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brain were Colliery Hewer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Brain | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Lorry Driver
    4%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duti
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Brain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 73,000 census records available for the last name Brain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brain

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Brain. 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 Brain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Brain. For the veterans among your Brain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brain family history

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What is the average Brain lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Brain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Brain in 1948 was 62, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brain ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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