This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Brians family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Brians Family History

Brians Surname Meaning

Scottish and English: variant of O'Brien or Bryan with excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: 

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Brians family from?

You can see how Brians families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brians family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brians families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 3 Brians families living in North Carolina. This was about 43% of all the recorded Brians's in USA. North Carolina had the highest population of Brians families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brians surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Brians ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brians. 33% of Brians men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Brians women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brians were Farming and Housewife.

View Census Data for Brians | 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
    33%
  • Laborer
    29%
  • Salesman
    11%
  • Farming
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    60%
  • Housewife
    40%

What Brians family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Brians. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brians census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Brians

Passenger Lists

There are 289 immigration records available for the last name Brians. 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 Brians immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 487 military records available for the last name Brians. For the veterans among your Brians ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brians military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brians family history

Discover More

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Brians family tree

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