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Brady Family History

Brady Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Mac Brádaigh or Ó Brádaigh ‘son (or descendant) of Brádach’ a personal name meaning ‘proud spirited’. In this case Ó Brádaigh is merely a variant of Mac Brádaigh.

Native American (Cheyenne): from a shortened and altered English translation of the Cheyenne personal name Nemo'eehe meaning ‘Braid(ed) Locks’ or ‘Wrapped Hair’ from -nemo'eehe ‘wrapped braids/hair’.

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 Brady family from?

You can see how Brady families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brady family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brady families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 1,416 Brady families living in Lancashire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Brady's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Brady families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brady 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 Brady 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 Brady. 16% of Brady men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Brady women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brady were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Brady | 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
    16%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Dock Labourer
    4%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Brady family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 510,000 census records available for the last name Brady. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brady census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brady

Passenger Lists

There are 97,000 immigration records available for the last name Brady. 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 Brady immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 104,000 military records available for the last name Brady. For the veterans among your Brady ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Brady family history

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What is the average Brady lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Brady life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Brady in 1940 was 67, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brady

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brady 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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