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Brian Family History

Brian Surname Meaning

Irish and English: variant of Bryant. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Ó Briain see O'Brien.

French: unflattering nickname from Old Occitan brian ‘mite maggot’ by extension brimborion possibly denoting a very small man.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Brian family from?

You can see how Brian families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brian family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brian families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 15 Brian families living in Ohio. This was about 15% of all the recorded Brian's in USA. Ohio and 1 other state had the highest population of Brian families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brian surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Brian ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brian. 18% of Brian men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Brian women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brian were Clerk and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Brian | 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 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    16%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Clerk
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    15%
  • Teacher
    14%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Housekeeper
    8%

What Brian family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 58,000 census records available for the last name Brian. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brian census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Brian

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Brian. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Brian immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Brian. For the veterans among your Brian ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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