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Brayton Family History

Brayton Surname Meaning

English (Cumberland): habitational name from any of the places in Cumberland and North Yorkshire named Brayton from Old Norse breithr ‘broad’.

Alternatively, it may derive from the Old Norse personal name Breithi.

The second element, Old English tūn, means ‘farmstead’.

This name reflects the geographic and linguistic influences of the region.

Overall, Brayton signifies a place associated with broad lands or a specific individual from historical contexts.

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


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Where is the Brayton family from?

You can see how Brayton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brayton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brayton families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 34 Brayton families living in Lancashire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Brayton's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Brayton families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brayton 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 Brayton ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Brayton. 82% of Brayton women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Brayton | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    10%
  • Housewife
    10%

What Brayton family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search UK census records for Brayton

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Brayton. 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 Brayton immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Brayton. For the veterans among your Brayton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brayton military records

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