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Brightman Family History

Brightman Surname Meaning

English: from the Old English personal name Brihtmann Beorhtmann (from beorht briht ‘bright’ + mann ‘man’).

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Brightman family from?

You can see how Brightman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brightman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brightman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 200 Brightman families living in Bedfordshire. This was about 24% of all the recorded Brightman's in United Kingdom. Bedfordshire had the highest population of Brightman families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brightman 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 Brightman 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 Brightman. 16% of Brightman men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Brightman women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brightman were Bank Clerk and Unpaid Household Duties.

View Census Data for Brightman | 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
    16%
  • Farmer
    11%
  • Carpenter joiner
    8%
  • Bank Clerk
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    2%

What Brightman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 28,000 census records available for the last name Brightman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brightman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brightman

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Brightman. For the veterans among your Brightman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brightman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brightman family history

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What is the average Brightman lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Brightman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1962. The average life expectancy for Brightman in 1947 was 45, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brightman

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brightman 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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