Briley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The German surname Briley is derived from "Brill," the name of a town located in East Friesland. It was a common practice of the time to refer to a new resident of a city by the name of his hometown; thus, it is likely that the progenitor of the name Briley was a native of the town of Brill who had settled in another region.
Early Origins of the Briley family
The surname Briley was first found in East Friesland, where it emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. The earliest known bearer of the name was Joh. Priel, who was recorded as living in Ehingen in 1514.
Early History of the Briley family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Briley research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1721, 1759, 1778, 1842, 1846, 1853, 1855 and 1935 are included under the topic Early Briley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Briley Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Brill, Brille, Brile, Bril, Bryll, Brylle, Bryle, Prill, Prille and many more.
Early Notables of the Briley family
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Briley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Briley Ranking
In the United States, the name Briley is the 4,612nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1
Briley migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Briley Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- John Briley, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
- Mary Briley, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Briley migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Briley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
Briley migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Briley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Thomas E. Briley, (b. 1837), aged 36, English joiner from Cheshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 3
- Mrs. Anne E. Briley, (b. 1839), aged 34, English settler from Cheshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 3
- Mr. Calvert Briley, (b. 1864), aged 9, English settler from Cheshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 3
- Miss Alice Briley, (b. 1866), aged 7, English settler from Cheshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 3
- Miss Annie Briley, (b. 1868), aged 5, English settler from Cheshire travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Surat" going to Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand in 1873, the ship sunk at the Catlins River all the passengers were transported to Dunedin via various rescure vessels 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Briley (post 1700) +
- Gregory "Pee Wee" Briley (b. 1965), American former Major League Baseball player
- Clifton Beverly Briley (1914-1980), American politician, first mayor of Nashville and Davidson County
- John Richard Briley (b. 1925), American writer
- John Marshall Briley, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1960, 1964 4
- Les Briley (b. 1956), English former footballer
- Martin Briley (b. 1950), English singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist
Citations +