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Brighton Family History

Brighton Surname Meaning

English:: habitational name from Breighton in East Yorkshire on the river Derwent. This place is named with Old English beorht ‘bright’ or an unattested personal name Beohta + tūn ‘enclosure settlement’.

The surname is unlikely to derive from Brighton in Sussex which was known as Brighthelmestone until the end of the 18th century.

In East Anglia, a nickname is derived from Middle English bright + eien ‘bright eyes’.

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 Brighton family from?

You can see how Brighton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brighton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brighton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 312 Brighton families living in Norfolk. This was about 22% of all the recorded Brighton's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Brighton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brighton 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 Brighton 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 Brighton. 14% of Brighton men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Brighton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brighton were Gardener and Unpaid Domestic Dut.

View Census Data for Brighton | 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
    14%
  • Agricultural Labourer
    8%
  • Bricklayer
    7%
  • Gardener
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    2%

What Brighton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 34,000 census records available for the last name Brighton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brighton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brighton

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Brighton. 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 Brighton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Brighton. For the veterans among your Brighton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brighton military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brighton family history

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What is the average Brighton lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Brighton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 1972. The average life expectancy for Brighton in 1963 was 77, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brighton

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brighton 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 Brighton family tree

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