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Bray Family History

Bray Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places in Berkshire and Devon. The former is probably named with Old French bray ‘marsh’ the latter from the Cornish element bre ‘hill’. English: perhaps a topographic name from northern Middle English bra ‘steep (river) bank’ or ‘brow of a hill’ denoting someone who lived at such a place.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any of several places in Normandy or Picardy called Bray (Eure Calvados Aisne Somme); see 6. English: variant of Braye.

Irish: from Ó Breaghdha denoting a descendant of a native of Bregia a territory in Meath.

French: habitational name from (Le) Bray the name of several places in various parts of France named with Old French brai ‘mud mire’ (from Late Latin bracium a word of Gaulish origin).

Compare Brais and Dubray.

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


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Where is the Bray family from?

You can see how Bray families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bray family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bray families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,589 Bray families living in Yorkshire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Bray's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Bray families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bray 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 Bray 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 Bray. 7% of Bray men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Bray women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bray were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Bray | 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
    7%
  • Farmer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

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

What Bray family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 363,000 census records available for the last name Bray. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bray census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bray

Passenger Lists

There are 34,000 immigration records available for the last name Bray. 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 Bray immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 41,000 military records available for the last name Bray. For the veterans among your Bray 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 Bray family history

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What is the average Bray lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Bray life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Bray in 1943 was 35, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bray

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bray 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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