Brown (surname)

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 concerning the complexion of an individual, the colour of their hair or the clothing worn. This nickname is derived from the Old English ''brun'', ''brūn''; Middle English ''brun'', ''broun''; or Old French ''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 (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 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 of other surnames, such as the German Braun, 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 have anglicized as Brown or Browne since about 1800. In Scottish Gaelic, 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, 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 (1030–1101), founder of the Carthusian Order.

Other forms in English or other languages

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

Other names meaning "brown"

*Arabic: al-Asmar (الأسمر), al-Asmarānī (الأسمراني), as-Samrā' (السمراء), as-Sumrah (السمرة) (note: usually for complexion, not hair color)
* Croatian: Smeđić
*Czech: Hnědý
*Dutch: De Bruijne, De Bruijn, De Bruin, De Bruyne, De Bruyn
*Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Brun, Bruun
* Estonian: Pruun
* French: Lebrun, LeBrun, Le Brun, Brun, Brunet
*Gaelic: (male) MaCilledhuin, (female) Nicilledhuinn (surname), Dunn
*German: Braun
* Hungarian: Barna
*Italian: Marrone, Moro, Mori, Mora, Moretti
* Latvian: Brūns
* Lithuanian: Rudas
*Polish: Brązowski, Brązowy
*Portuguese: Castanho, Moreno
* Slovak: Hnedý
*Spanish: Castaño, Marrón, Moreno, Pardo

See also

*List of people with surname Brown
*Brown (disambiguation), other things named ''Brown''

References

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