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Bromley Family History

Bromley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the many places called Bromley in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent (now in Greater London), Greater London, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and elsewhere. Most are named with Old English brōm ‘broom’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

However, Bromley (near Bow) in Greater London is from Old English bræmbel ‘bramble’ + lēah.

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


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Where is the Bromley family from?

You can see how Bromley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bromley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bromley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,263 Bromley families living in Lancashire. This was about 26% of all the recorded Bromley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Bromley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bromley 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 Bromley 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 Bromley. 9% of Bromley men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Bromley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bromley were Retired and Private Means.

View Census Data for Bromley | 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
    4%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Retired
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Bromley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 126,000 census records available for the last name Bromley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bromley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bromley

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Bromley. 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 Bromley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Bromley. For the veterans among your Bromley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bromley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bromley family history

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What is the average Bromley lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Bromley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Bromley in 1953 was 56, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bromley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bromley 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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