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Briley Family History

Briley Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Brólaigh see Brawley. English: habitational name from Brilley in Bridstow (Herefordshire) a local variant of the name that usually develops as Bromley.

In some cases also an Americanized form of Slovenian Brilej: nickname derived from dialect briliti ‘to shave’ hence apparently denoting a barber.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Briley family from?

You can see how Briley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Briley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Briley families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 83 Briley families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Briley's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Briley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Briley 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 Briley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Lorry Driver (heavy Work and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Briley. 25% of Briley men worked as a Lorry Driver (heavy Work and 87% of Briley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Briley were Electrician and Corset Machinist.

View Census Data for Briley | 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

  • Lorry Driver (heavy Work
    25%
  • Lorry Driver (heavy Worker)
    25%
  • Bricklayer
    25%
  • Electrician
    25%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    87%
  • Domestic Servant
    5%
  • Domestic Duties
    4%
  • Corset Machinist
    4%

What Briley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 26,000 census records available for the last name Briley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Briley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Briley

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Briley. 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 Briley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Briley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Briley family history

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What is the average Briley lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Briley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Briley in 1944 was 32, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Briley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Briley 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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