Bryan Family History

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Bryan Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name (de Brionne) from either of two places called Brionne in northern France (in Eure and Creuse). Irish and English: from the Celtic personal name Brian (see O’Brien). Breton bearers of this name were among the Normans who invaded England in 1066, and they went on to invade and settle in Ireland in the 12th century, where the name mingled with the native Irish name Brian. This native Irish name had also been borrowed by Vikings, who introduced it independently into northwestern England before the Norman Conquest.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Brian, Bran, Organ, Ryan, Bryans, Braun, Brin, Bruin, Ban, Bray

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Bryan Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Bryan name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Bryan. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    52%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    20%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Norway

    3%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    2%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Bryan Family Origin

Where is the Bryan family from?

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You can see how Bryan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bryan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bryan families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 439 Bryan families living in Ontario. This was about 64% of all the recorded Bryan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Bryan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bryan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Bryan

Bryan Family Occupations

What did your Bryan ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Bryan family was Student. The most common Bryan occupation in Canada was Farmer. 23% of Bryan's were Farmers. Farmer, Going To School and School were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Bryan.

View Census data for Bryan | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    23%

  • Going To School

    9%

  • School

    7%

  • Student

    5%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Bryan ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Bryan Historical Records

What Bryan family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 409,000 census records available for the last name Bryan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bryan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Bryan

Passenger List

There are 59,000 immigration records available for the last name Bryan. 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.

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Draft Card

There are 75,000 military records available for the last name Bryan. For the veterans among your Bryan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Bryan family history.

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Bryan Life Expectancy

What is the average Bryan lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Bryan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Bryan in 1940 was 39, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bryan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bryan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Bryan Family Ancestors

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