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Briggs Family History

Briggs Name Meaning

English: variant of Brigg with post-medieval excrescent -s from Middle English brig(g) (Old Norse bryggja) the northern and Scottish word for bridge for someone who lived by a bridge or who came from any of the places called from the word.

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


Similar surnames: Riggs, Biggs, Trigg, Bridge, Bright, Bigby, Prigge, Rings, Triggs

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Briggs family from?

You can see how Briggs families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Briggs family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Briggs families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 5,556 Briggs families living in Yorkshire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Briggs's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Briggs families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Briggs 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 Briggs 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 Briggs. 9% of Briggs men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Briggs women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Briggs were Builders Labourer and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Briggs | 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%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
  • Builders Labourer
    2%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Briggs family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 648,000 census records available for the last name Briggs. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Briggs census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Briggs

Passenger Lists

There are 46,000 immigration records available for the last name Briggs. 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 Briggs immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 77,000 military records available for the last name Briggs. For the veterans among your Briggs ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Briggs military records

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What is the average Briggs lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Briggs life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Briggs in 1940 was 42, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Briggs

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