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Brownlee Family History

Brownlee Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Brownlee in Lanarkshire or Ayrshireboth named with Old English brūn ‘brown’+ lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


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Where is the Brownlee family from?

You can see how Brownlee families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brownlee family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brownlee families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 101 Brownlee families living in Durham. This was about 28% of all the recorded Brownlee's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Brownlee families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brownlee 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 Brownlee 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 Brownlee. 24% of Brownlee men worked as a General Labourer and 89% of Brownlee women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brownlee were Dairy Farmer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Brownlee | 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
    24%
  • Coal Merchant
    16%
  • Shipwright
    16%
  • Dairy Farmer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    89%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Brownlee family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 65,000 census records available for the last name Brownlee. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brownlee census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brownlee

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Brownlee. 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 Brownlee immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Brownlee. For the veterans among your Brownlee ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brownlee military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brownlee family history

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What is the average Brownlee lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Brownlee life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Brownlee in 1943 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brownlee

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brownlee 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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