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Bradbury Family History

Bradbury Surname Meaning

English: habitational name usually from Bredbury (Cheshire) occasionally perhaps from Bradbury (Durham) although evidence for the latter origin is yet to be found.

Both placenames meant ‘stronghold or manor house built with planks’ from Old English bred ‘board’ + burg in the dative case form byrig.

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


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Where is the Bradbury family from?

You can see how Bradbury families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bradbury family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bradbury families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 2,075 Bradbury families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Bradbury's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Bradbury families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bradbury 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 Bradbury 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 Bradbury. 8% of Bradbury men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Bradbury women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bradbury were Builders Labourer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Bradbury | 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
    8%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Bradbury family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 195,000 census records available for the last name Bradbury. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bradbury census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bradbury

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Bradbury. 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 Bradbury immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 18,000 military records available for the last name Bradbury. For the veterans among your Bradbury ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bradbury military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bradbury family history

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What is the average Bradbury lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bradbury life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Bradbury in 1940 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bradbury

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bradbury 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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