The Scottish form of Brown.

The name Brown is an old colour-name which is a form of nickname. Colour-names usually referred to the complexion or hair of the owner. There are several common names which began life as colour-names. Thus the name Reed, Reid (or Read) derives from the Old English word ‘read’ which means ‘red’. Similarly, Blake is thought in most cases to derive from the Old English word ‘blac’ which means ‘black’; and Blunt derives from the Middle English word ‘blund’, meaning ‘white’ or ‘fair-haired’.

The name Brown derives from the Old English word ‘brun’, meaning ‘brown’, though in some cases it may derive from a foreign version of the same word. The name Brown, in the form Brun, was certainly prevalent throughout the country before the Norman Conquest. However, a number of Bruns came across the Channel with William the Conqueror so, in some cases, the name Brown derives from the French root (the modern French word for brown is ‘brun’).

In the 1066 records of the Domesday Book we find reference to one Brun, and the Latinised form Brunus. These were personal names. However, by 1273 we find the surname form with Hugh le Brun in Suffolk and Robert le Brun in Buckinghamshire.

Naturally enough, such a simple and widespread name soon acquired many variations, several of which remain in use to this day. Brownett and Brunet are diminutives of the Old French Brun. Browning represents Old English Bruning, from the Old English Brun-in the same way as Dunning or Downing from Dunn, ‘the dark, swarthy or dun-coloured one’. Brownutt comes from a medieval nickname describing its owner as ‘brown as a nut’. Brownsmith comes from the Old English ‘brun’ and ‘smith’, meaning ‘a worker in copper or brass’. The names Brownson and Brunson simply mean ‘son of Brown’. And Brownjohn derives from an old medieval nickname meaning ‘John with the brown hair (or face)’.

For many years Brown has been Scotland’s third most numerous surname-after Smith and McDonald. However, some Scottish Browns may derive their name from a different source from their English counterparts. In England the name usually comes from the Old English, or sometimes from the Old French, but in Scotland and parts of the north of England, the name may sometimes come from the Old Scandinavian ‘Brunn’-a subtle distinction, but it spreads the origins of the Browns from Norway to Brittany.

Brown vs Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court which marked the beginning of the end of segregation. The Court ruled that ‘separate but equal’ educational facilities for people of different races were inherently unequal, and thus violated the US Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees all citizens equal protection under the law.

The cross-the-chest military fashion called the Sam Browne belt is named after General Sir Samuel Jones Browne (1824— 1901) who made it popular.

Brownies have long been fairies in Scotland and Eire, while around the English-speaking world they are the descriptive term for the youngest group of Girl Guides. Their name derives from their uniform.

Browns have been exceptionally inventive on both sides of the Atlantic. Inventions include all sorts of precision instruments (Joseph Rogers Brown-USA, 1810—76), armour plate (Sir John Brown-UK, 1816—96), hoisting and conveying machines (Alexander Ephraim Brown-USA, 1852—1911), the Browning submachine gun and numerous other firearms (John Moses Brown-USA, 1855—1926), and the gyroscopic compass and aeroplane speed indicator (Sydney George Brown-UK, 1873—1948).

Brownian Motion, the common term for the rapid oscillating movement of particles suspended in liquid or gas which, when viewed through a microscope, is evidence of molecular motion, is named after the Scots-born botanist, Robert Brown (1773-1858).

Six Lord Mayors of London have had a Brown-related surname: Stephen Broun (1438), John Browne (1480), William Browne (1507), William Browne (1513), Sir Richard Browne (1660) and Anthony Brown (1826).

Browns have been notable warriors in exotic places. Admiral William Brown (1777—1857) led the Argentinian fleet to two famous victories over the Brazilians. George Browne served the Czars, was enslaved in Turkey, escaped with state secrets, commanded the Russian Armies during the Danish War and retired to become the much revered Governor of Livonia in the Baltic for over 30 years.

As a colour-related name, towns and geographic features which contain the name Brown are frequent. The United Kingdom alone has 7 towns ranging from Brown Candover to Brownston while the United States has no fewer than 27 towns which contain the name. Australia has mountains called Browne and Brown, a peak named Brown Hills and a Brown Point.

With about 441,000 namesakes, Brown is the 4th most popular surname in England and Wales. There are over 49,000 Browns in Scotland where it is 3rd in popularity, while in Ireland it is estimated that with about 15,000 Browns it is the 37th most popular surname. Brown is notably popular in and around Edinburgh where an estimated one in about 85 families bears the name. In descending numerical order, Glasgow, Teesside and Nottingham are other Brown strongholds. Around the world Browns are most common in Canberra (one in 202 families), Sydney (one in 231) and Auckland (one in 244). The United States has more Browns than the entire population of Birmingham and Coventry combined-an estimated total of just over 1,430,000 makes this their 4th most popular surname.