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Brightwell Family History

Brightwell Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places for example in Berkshire Oxfordshire and Suffolk named Brightwell from Old English beorht ‘bright clear’ + well(a) ‘spring stream’. Perhaps also from Britwell in Burnham (Buckinghamshire) or Britwell Prior or Britwell Salome (both Oxfordshire).

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


Similar surnames: Bridwell, Whitwell, Bidwell, Broadwell, Bramwell, Bradwell, Rothwell

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Where is the Brightwell family from?

You can see how Brightwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brightwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brightwell families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 10 Brightwell families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Brightwell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Brightwell families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brightwell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brightwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Brightwell. 72% of Brightwell men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Brightwell | 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
    72%
  • Shoemaker
    29%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brightwell family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Brightwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brightwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Brightwell

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Brightwell. For the veterans among your Brightwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brightwell military records

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What is the average Brightwell lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Brightwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Brightwell in 1945 was 53, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brightwell

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