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Brief Family History

Brief Surname Meaning

German French (Nord Pas-de-Calais) and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German and Old French brief ‘letter missive’

German Brief hence a metonymic occupational name for a letter carrier or scribe.

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


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Where is the Brief family from?

You can see how Brief families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brief family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Scotland between 1851 and 1920. The most Brief families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 7 Brief families living in Yorkshire. This was about 64% of all the recorded Brief's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Brief families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brief 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 Brief ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Accountant and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brief. 22% of Brief men worked as an Accountant and 50% of Brief women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brief were Truck Driver and Saleslady.

View Census Data for Brief | 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

  • Accountant
    22%
  • Salesman
    22%
  • Butcher
    15%
  • Truck Driver
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Clerk
    50%
  • Saleslady
    50%

What Brief family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 925 census records available for the last name Brief. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brief census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brief

Passenger Lists

There are 404 immigration records available for the last name Brief. 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 Brief immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Brief. For the veterans among your Brief ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brief military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brief family history

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What is the average Brief lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Brief life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Brief in 1959 was 59, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brief

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brief 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 Brief family tree

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