History of your Surname
Get access to Brady family records.Start a free trial

Brady Family History

Brady Name Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Mac Brádaigh or Ó Brádaigh ‘son (or descendant) of Brádach’ a personal name meaning ‘proud spirited’. In this case Ó Brádaigh is merely a variant of Mac Brádaigh. Native American (Cheyenne): from a shortened and altered English translation of the Cheyenne personal name Nemo'eehe meaning ‘Braid(ed) Locks’ or ‘Wrapped Hair’ from -nemo'eehe ‘wrapped braids/hair’.

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


Similar surnames: Grady, Braden, Briody, Crady, Brain, Rada, Brawdy, Frady, Bradby

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Brady family from?

You can see how Brady families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brady family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brady families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 741 Brady families living in Ontario. This was about 60% of all the recorded Brady's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Brady families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brady surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brady ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Brady. 32% of Brady men worked as a Farmer and 16% of Brady women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brady were Clerk and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Brady | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    32%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    16%
  • Clerk
    11%
  • Teacher
    10%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brady family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 510,000 census records available for the last name Brady. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brady census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Brady

Passenger Lists

There are 97,000 immigration records available for the last name Brady. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brady immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 104,000 military records available for the last name Brady. For the veterans among your Brady ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brady military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brady family history

Discover More

What is the average Brady lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Brady life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Brady in 1940 was 67, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brady

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Brady family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Brady last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial