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Brays Family History

Brays Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Bras, Brass, Bray, Grays, Brais, Crays, Bays, Brys, Brand, Ras

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Brays family from?

You can see how Brays families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brays family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Brays families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 6 Brays families living in Northamptonshire. This was about 55% of all the recorded Brays's in United Kingdom. Northamptonshire had the highest population of Brays families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brays 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 Brays ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brays. 50% of Brays men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Brays women worked as a Maid.

View Census Data for Brays | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    50%
  • Farmer
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    100%

What Brays family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 338 census records available for the last name Brays. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brays census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brays

Passenger Lists

There are 65 immigration records available for the last name Brays. 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 Brays immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 20 military records available for the last name Brays. For the veterans among your Brays ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brays military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brays family history

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What is the average Brays lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brays 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brays

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