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Brailsford Family History

Brailsford Surname Meaning

English (East Midlands and Yorkshire): habitational name from a place in Derbyshire named Brailsford.

It is possibly derived from an Old English word brægels, a metathesized form of bærgels, itself a byform of byrgels.

The term byrgels translates to ‘tumulus barrow’, indicating a type of burial mound.

The second component, ford, refers to a shallow place in a river or stream that can be crossed.

Thus, the name Brailsford encompasses both a geographical feature and a historical context.

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


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Where is the Brailsford family from?

You can see how Brailsford families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brailsford family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brailsford families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 327 Brailsford families living in Derbyshire. This was about 30% of all the recorded Brailsford's in United Kingdom. Derbyshire had the highest population of Brailsford families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brailsford 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 Brailsford 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 Brailsford. 13% of Brailsford men worked as a General Labourer and 71% of Brailsford women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brailsford were Colliery Hewer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Brailsford | 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
    13%
  • Bricklayer
    12%
  • Window Cleaner
    8%
  • Colliery Hewer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Brailsford family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 16,000 census records available for the last name Brailsford. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brailsford census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brailsford

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Brailsford. For the veterans among your Brailsford ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brailsford military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brailsford family history

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What is the average Brailsford lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Brailsford life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Brailsford in 1946 was 49, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brailsford

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brailsford 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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