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Brownley Family History

Brownley Name Meaning

Scottish: variant of Brownlee . English: habitational name from Brownley Green in Beausale (Warwickshire) named with Old English brūn ‘brown’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Brownlee, Broadley, Crowley, Browne, Brinley, Brownlie, Rawley

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 Brownley family from?

You can see how Brownley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brownley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brownley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 71 Brownley families living in Lancashire. This was about 38% of all the recorded Brownley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Brownley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brownley 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 Brownley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Cook and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Brownley. 34% of Brownley men worked as a Cook and 85% of Brownley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brownley were Colliery Haulage Hand (below) and Unpaid Domestic. .

View Census Data for Brownley | 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

  • Cook
    34%
  • General Labourer
    34%
  • Colliery Haulage Hand (below)
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    7%
  • Hotel Proprietor
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brownley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Brownley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brownley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Brownley

Passenger Lists

There are 891 immigration records available for the last name Brownley. 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 Brownley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Brownley. For the veterans among your Brownley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brownley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brownley family history

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What is the average Brownley lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Brownley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Brownley in 1952 was 55, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brownley

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