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Brierley Family History

Brierley Name Meaning

English: habitational name Brierley in Felkirk (Yorkshire) or less often Brierley in Staffordshire which are named with Old English brǣr ‘briar’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Bierly, Brinkley, Barley, Brisley, Brimley, Brindley, Bromley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Brierley family from?

You can see how Brierley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brierley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brierley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 3,758 Brierley families living in Lancashire. This was about 73% of all the recorded Brierley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Brierley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brierley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brierley 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 Brierley. 9% of Brierley men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Brierley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brierley were Retired and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Brierley | 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
    9%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Retired
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Cotton Weaver
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brierley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 68,000 census records available for the last name Brierley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brierley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brierley

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Brierley. 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 Brierley immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Brierley military records

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What is the average Brierley lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Brierley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Brierley in 1957 was 50, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brierley

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