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Brel Family History

Brel 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: Borel, Briel, Bel, Brew, Orel, Biel, Bree, Arel, Brea, Bren

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Brel family from?

You can see how Brel families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1871 and 1920. The most Brel families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 2 Brel families living in Middlesex. This was 100% of all the recorded Brel's in United Kingdom. Middlesex had the highest population of Brel families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brel 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 Brel ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Machinist was the top reported job for people in the USA named Brel. 50% of Brel men worked as a Machinist.

View Census Data for Brel | 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

  • Machinist
    50%
  • Laborer
    50%

What Brel family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 379 census records available for the last name Brel. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brel census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brel

Passenger Lists

There are 152 immigration records available for the last name Brel. 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 Brel immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 23 military records available for the last name Brel. For the veterans among your Brel ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brel military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brel family history

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What is the average Brel lifespan?

Average Brel life expectancy in 1965 was 69 years. This was lower than the general public life expectancy which was 70.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brel

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brel 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Brel family tree

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