Brown is an English-language surname in origin chiefly descriptive of a person with brown hair, complexion or clothing. It is one of the most common surnames in English-speaking countries. It is the second most common surname in Canada and Scotland, third most common in Australia and the United Kingdom and fourth most common in England and the United States. It is particularly clustered in southern Scotland.

Etymology and history of the surname

Most occurrences of the name are derived from a

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

concerning the

complexion Complexion in humans is the natural color, texture, and appearance of the skin, especially on the face. History The word "complexion" is derived from the Late Latin ''complexi'', which initially referred in general terms to a combination of thi ...

of an individual, the colour of their hair or the clothing worn. This nickname is derived from the Old English ''brun'', ''brūn'';

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

''brun'', ''broun''; or

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligi ...

''brun''. The root word is also sometimes found in Old English and Old Norse bynames, such as the Old Norse ''Brúnn''; however these names were not common after the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

(in 1066). In some cases, the Old English personal name ''Brun'' may be a short form of one of several compound names, such as ''Brungar'' and ''Brunwine''. Early recordings of the English name/surname are: ''Brun'', ''Brunus'' in 1066; Conan ''filius Brun'' in 1209; Richard ''Brun'', ''le Brun'' le mercer in 1111–38; William ''le Brun'' in 1169; William ''Brun'' 1182–1205; Hugh ''Bron'' in 1274; Agnes ''Broun'' in 1296; and John ''le Browne'' in 1318. Another of the earliest recorded Browns is John Brown of

Stamford, Lincolnshire Stamford is a town and civil parish in the South Kesteven District of Lincolnshire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 19,701 and estimated at 20,645 in 2019. The town has 17th- and 18th-century stone buildings, older timber-framed ...

in 1312. In Scotland, ''The People of Medieval Scotland'' academic project surveys over 8600 extant records from between the years 1093 to 1314 and lists 26 Brouns and 14 Browns on its database The name also originates independently in the United States, as an

Anglicization Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...

of other surnames, such as the German

Braun Braun is a common surname, originating from the German word for the color brown. The name is the 22nd most common family name in Germany. Many German emigrants to the United States also changed their name to ''Brown'' (''see Brown (surname)'' ...

, or other surnames with similar meanings. It can also arise as a translation from the Gaelic '' Donn'' ("brown"). The ''Mac A Brehon'' clan of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

have anglicized as Brown or Browne since about 1800. In

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well a ...

, the name Brown is translated Mac-a-Bhruithainn (pronounced "mac-avroon") from the root word "Bruithainn", which is roughly pronounced "bro-an" and is similar to the word for judge (just as in the Irish). Its sound is very similar to the Scots surname Broun/Broon/Brown, which are all pronounced similarly. The German cognates are associated with the much more common Continental personal name Bruno, which was borne by the

Dukes of Saxony The Duchy of Saxony ( nds, Hartogdom Sassen, german: Herzogtum Sachsen) was originally the area settlement geography, settled by the Saxons in the late Early Middle Ages, when they were subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars from 772 and in ...

, among others, from the Tenth century or before. It was also the name of several medieval German and Italian saints, such as Saint

Bruno of Cologne Bruno of Cologne, O.Cart. (german: Bruno von Köln, it, Bruno di Colonia;c. 1030 – 6 October 1101), venerated as Saint Bruno, was the founder of the Carthusian Order. He personally founded the order's first two communities. He was a celebrate ...

(1030–1101), founder of the

Carthusian Order The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order h ...

Other forms in English or other languages

*English: Browne *Irish: De Bhrún, Ní Bhrún *Scottish:

Broun Broun is a surname. It is the Middle English and Scots spelling of Brown. Notable people with the surname include: *Agnes Broun (1732–1820), mother of Scottish poet Robert Burns *Alex Broun (born 1965), Australian playwright and screenwriter *Da ...

Other names meaning "brown"

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

: al-Asmar (الأسمر), al-Asmarānī (الأسمراني), as-Samrā' (السمراء), as-Sumrah (السمرة) (note: usually for complexion, not hair color) *

Croatian Croatian may refer to: * Croatia *Croatian language *Croatian people *Croatians (demonym) See also * * * Croatan (disambiguation) * Croatia (disambiguation) * Croatoan (disambiguation) * Hrvatski (disambiguation) * Hrvatsko (disambiguation) * S ...

: Smeđić * Czech: Hnědý * Dutch: De Bruijne, De Bruijn, De Bruin, Bruin,

De Bruyne De Bruyne is a Dutch surname meaning "the brown one". The name is variably spelled Debruyne or De Bruijne as well. More common forms are De Bruin, De Bruijn, and De Bruyn. People with this surname include: *Kevin De Bruyne (born 1991), Belgian fo ...

, De Bruyn * Danish, Norwegian and

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Brun Brun may refer to: People * Brun (surname) * Brun (given name) * Brun I of Saxony (c. 830/840–880) * Brun of Querfurt (c. 974–1009), missionary archbishop and martyr * Brun I, Count of Brunswick (c. 975–c. 1010) Other * Brun (grape) ...

Bruun Bruun is a surname of North Germanic origin. The meaning is ''brown'' (''brun'' in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian). In Denmark, the name is known to have been in use since the 13th century in the form Bruun. Other spelling variants are ''Bruhn'' and ...

* Estonian: Pruun *

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: Lebrun, LeBrun, Le Brun, Brun, Brunet * Gaelic: (male) MaCilledhuin, (female) Nicilledhuinn (surname), Dunn *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

* Hungarian: Barna * Italian:

Marrone Marrone is an Italian surname meaning " brown". Notable people with the surname include: * Doug Marrone (born 1964), American football coach * Emma Marrone (born 1984), Italian pop/rock singer * Fabrizia Marrone (born 1996), Italian softball player ...

, Moro, Mori, Mora, Moretti * Latvian: Brūns *

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

: Rudas * Polish: Brązowski, Brązowy * Portuguese: Castanho, Moreno * Slovak: Hnedý *

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

Castaño Castaño is a Spanish surname meaning "auburn". *Carlos Castaño Gil (1965–2004), founder of the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU), an extreme right paramilitary organization in Colombia *Carlos Castaño Panadero (born 19 ...

, Marrón, Moreno, Pardo

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown English-language surnames Surnames of English origin Scottish surnames Surnames from nicknames Surnames of New Zealand origin