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Brailey Family History

Brailey Name Meaning

English: habitational name from Brayley Barton in Devon which is named from the Bray river (a back formation from High Bray which is from Celtic bre ‘hill’ or Old English brǣg ‘brow’) + Old English lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Bailey, Bramley, Bradley, Brimley, Barley, Brisley, Badley, Radley

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 Brailey family from?

You can see how Brailey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brailey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brailey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 20 Brailey families living in Ontario. This was about 77% of all the recorded Brailey's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Brailey families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brailey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brailey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brailey. 23% of Brailey men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Brailey women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brailey were Salesman and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Brailey | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    23%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Waiter
    10%
  • Salesman
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    28%
  • Maid
    19%
  • Housewife
    19%
  • Bookkeeper
    19%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brailey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 11,000 census records available for the last name Brailey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brailey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Brailey

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Brailey. 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 Brailey immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Brailey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brailey family history

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What is the average Brailey lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Brailey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2004, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Brailey in 1962 was 75, and 46 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brailey

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