Brief Family History

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Brief Name Meaning

German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German brief ‘letter’, ‘missive’, German Brief, hence a metonymic occupational name for a letter carrier or scribe. French: nickname from bref ‘short’.


Similar surnames: Reef, Brier, Grief, Kries, Britz, Priem, Briel, Rief, Stief, Brin

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Brief Family Origin

Where is the Brief family from?

Brief Family Occupations

What did your Brief ancestors do for a living?

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Brief ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

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Brief Historical Records

What Brief family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 925 census records available for the last name Brief. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Brief census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search 1891 UK census records for Brief

Passenger List

There are 404 immigration records available for the last name Brief. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Card

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

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You've only scratched the surface of Brief family history.

Brief Life Expectancy

What is the average Brief lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Brief life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Brief in 1959 was 59, and 69 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Brief

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Brief ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Brief Family Ancestors

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