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Brass Family History

Brass Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Birse in Aberdeenshire metathesized to Brass.

English (Northumberland): variant of Brace.

North German: nickname from Middle Low German brās ‘noise pomp’ a related form of brāsch (see Braasch).

German: topographic name from Brass ‘broom gorse’ a common name element in the Lower Rhine and Ruhr.

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


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Where is the Brass family from?

You can see how Brass families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brass family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brass families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 225 Brass families living in Durham. This was about 55% of all the recorded Brass's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Brass families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brass 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 Brass ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Brass. 18% of Brass men worked as a Farmer and 79% of Brass women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brass were Bricklayer and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Brass | 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

  • Farmer
    18%
  • General Labourer
    18%
  • Dairy Farmer
    9%
  • Bricklayer
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Private Means
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    3%

What Brass family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Brass. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brass census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brass

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Brass. 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 Brass immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Brass. For the veterans among your Brass ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brass military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brass family history

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What is the average Brass lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Brass life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Brass in 1956 was 58, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brass

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brass 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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