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Brightwell Family History

Brightwell Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places for example in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Suffolk named Brightwell from Old English beorht ‘bright, clear’ + well(a) ‘spring, stream’.

Perhaps also from Britwell in Burnham (Buckinghamshire) or Britwell Prior or Britwell Salome (both Oxfordshire).

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


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Where is the Brightwell family from?

You can see how Brightwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brightwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brightwell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 185 Brightwell families living in London. This was about 27% of all the recorded Brightwell's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Brightwell families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brightwell 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 Brightwell 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 Brightwell. 18% of Brightwell men worked as a General Labourer and 78% of Brightwell women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brightwell were Cowman and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Brightwell | 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
    18%
  • General Labourer Heavy Worker
    9%
  • Carpenter joiner
    9%
  • Cowman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Brightwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Brightwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brightwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brightwell

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Brightwell. 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 Brightwell immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Brightwell. For the veterans among your Brightwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brightwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brightwell family history

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What is the average Brightwell lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Brightwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Brightwell in 1945 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brightwell

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brightwell 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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