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Bryans Family History

Bryans Surname Meaning

Irish and English: variant of O'Brien or Bryant with excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Bryans family from?

You can see how Bryans families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bryans family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bryans families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Bryans family living in Kentucky. This was about 33% of all the recorded Bryans's in USA. Kentucky and 2 other states had the highest population of Bryans families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bryans 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 Bryans ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bryans. 26% of Bryans men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Bryans women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bryans were Painter and Wood Yard.

View Census Data for Bryans | 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
    26%
  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Painter
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    12%
  • Clerk
    9%
  • Saleswoman
    9%
  • Wood Yard
    9%

What Bryans family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 14,000 census records available for the last name Bryans. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bryans census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Bryans

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Bryans. 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 Bryans immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Bryans military records

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