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Brightley Family History

Brightley Name Meaning

from Brightley in Okehampton or Brightley Barton in Chittlehampton (both Devon). The place-names are probably both from Old English beorht ‘bright’ + lēah ‘clearing wood’.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: Beighley, Keightley, Bright, Brighton, Richley, Keighley, Wrigley

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Brightley family from?

You can see how Brightley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brightley family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1880 and 1920. The most Brightley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1880 there were 4 Brightley families living in South Carolina. This was about 57% of all the recorded Brightley's in USA. South Carolina had the highest population of Brightley families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brightley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brightley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brightley. 72% of Brightley men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Brightley women worked as a Housewife. .

View Census Data for Brightley | 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

  • Laborer
    72%
  • Farmer
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brightley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 620 census records available for the last name Brightley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brightley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Brightley

Passenger Lists

There are 43 immigration records available for the last name Brightley. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 77 military records available for the last name Brightley. For the veterans among your Brightley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Brightley lifespan?

Between 1965 and 1994, in the United States, Brightley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1965, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Brightley in 1965 was 50, and 54 in 1994.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brightley

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