History of your Surname
Get access to Brierley family records.Start a free trial

Brierley Family History

Brierley Name Meaning

English: habitational name Brierley in Felkirk (Yorkshire) or less often Brierley in Staffordshire which are named with Old English brǣr ‘briar’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

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


Similar surnames: Bierly, Brinkley, Barley, Brisley, Brimley, Brindley, Bromley

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Brierley family from?

You can see how Brierley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Brierley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Brierley families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there was 1 Brierley family living in Kentucky. This was about 50% of all the recorded Brierley's in USA. Kentucky and 1 other state had the highest population of Brierley families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Brierley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Brierley ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Salesgirl were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Brierley. 15% of Brierley men worked as a Laborer and 17% of Brierley women worked as a Salesgirl. Some less common occupations for Americans named Brierley were Clerk and Weaver. .

View Census Data for Brierley | 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
    15%
  • Truck Driver
    11%
  • Machinist
    9%
  • Clerk
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Salesgirl
    17%
  • Inspector
    17%
  • Bookkeeper
    12%
  • Weaver
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Brierley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 68,000 census records available for the last name Brierley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brierley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Brierley

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Brierley. 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 Brierley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Brierley. For the veterans among your Brierley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Brierley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Brierley family history

Discover More

What is the average Brierley lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Brierley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Brierley in 1957 was 50, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brierley

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Brierley family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Brierley last name

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