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Briens Family History

Briens Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Bries, Brians, Brien, Fries, Bien, Brent, Ries, Briel, Friend, Brink

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Briens family from?

You can see how Briens families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Briens family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Briens families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 8 Briens families living in Nottinghamshire. This was about 73% of all the recorded Briens's in United Kingdom. Nottinghamshire had the highest population of Briens families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Briens 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 Briens ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Briens. 100% of Briens women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Briens | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Briens family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 698 census records available for the last name Briens. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Briens census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Briens

Passenger Lists

There are 969 immigration records available for the last name Briens. 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 Briens immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 89 military records available for the last name Briens. For the veterans among your Briens ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Briens military records

You've only scratched the surface of Briens family history

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What is the average Briens lifespan?

Average Briens life expectancy in 1997 was 82 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 74.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Briens

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Briens 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Briens family tree

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