Brown is one of the most common family names in English-speaking countries. According to the 1990 United States Census, Brown is the fifth most common family name in the United States at 0.621% of the sample population.[1]
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Etymology
The surname Brown is derived from the color brown. The word brown is of Middle English origin and is derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) brūn. It is related to the Dutch bruin, the German braun, and the Old Norse brūnn.The surname Brown can also be traced back to persons with brown characteristics, such as brown eyes, brown hair, or often wearing brown attire.[2]
Clan Motto
The Scottish Clan Brown or Broun uses the motto Floreat Majestas which translates as "Let majesty flourish". [3]
Notable people with the surname Brown
Activism
- H. Rap Brown, American civil rights activist
- John Brown (abolitionist) (1800-1859), American abolitionist
- John W. Brown (1867-1941), a Canadian-born labor leader in the United States
- Oliver Brown (civil rights), plaintiff of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education- case concerning segregation
- Olympia Brown (1835-1926), American women's suffragist
Art and architecture
- Bob Brown (comics), comic book artist
- Capability Brown, English landscape gardener
- Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893), English painter
- Henry Kirke Brown (1814-1886), American sculptor
- John Brown (architect), English architect in the 19th century
- John George Brown (1831-1913), American painter born Durham, England
Business
- Bobbi Brown, makeup artist and entrepreneur
- Sir David Brown (entrepreneur) (1904-1993), English entrepreneur
- Howard Brown, spokesman for Halifax bank in the U.K.
Crime
- David P. Brown, convicted kidnapper and child sexual assaulter
- John A. Brown, Jr. (died 1997), an American murderer executed in Louisiana for the murder of Omer Laughlin
- John Ronald Brown, unlicensed United States sex-change operation surgeon
- Nixzmary Brown, American murder victim from Brooklyn, New York
Engineering, science, and medicine
- Alexander Crum Brown, Scottish chemist who devised the diagramatic system of representing chemical bonds
- Barnum Brown (1873-1963), American paleontologist
- Ernest William Brown (1866-1938), English mathematician and astronomer
- George H. Brown (engineer) (1908-1987), American research engineer who developed color television
- G. Spencer-Brown (born 1923), English mathematician
- Harold P. Brown, inventor of the electric chair
- Herbert C. Brown, chemist
- John Brown (doctor) (1735-1788), a Scottish physician who developed his own medical system
- John Brown (physician) (1810-1882), a Scottish physician and essayist
- John Brown (professor), Scottish Royal Astronomer
- Sir John Brown (industrialist) (1816-1896), the inventor of a process for rolling armour-plate
- Michael E. Brown, astronomer
- Michael Stuart Brown (born 1941), American geneticist
- Moses Brown (1738-1836), American inventor
- Robert Brown (botanist) (1773-1858), botanist
- Robert Hanbury Brown (1916-2002), British astronomer and physicist
- Roger Brown (psychologist) American social psychologist
- Captain Samuel Brown (1774-1852), British civil engineer
- Thomas Brown (engineer) (1772-1850) English surveyor, engineer, businessman, and landowner
- Thomas Brown (naturalist) (1785-1862), English naturalist
- Thomas Townsend Brown (1905-1985), American physicist
- William Brown (bridge designer) (1928-2005), British bridge designer
Fiction
- the Browns, a hobbit family mentioned in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
- Bob Brown (The Unit), staff sergeant in the American TV show The Unit
- Charlie Brown, central hero of Peanuts cartoon by Charles Schultz
- Doctor Emmett Brown, the "crazy, wild-eyed" scientist from the Back to the Future trilogy, played by Christopher Lloyd
- Encyclopedia Brown, boy detective
- Father Brown, Catholic priest and detective in stories by G. K. Chesterton
- John Brown, protagonist of the 1999 film Inspector Gadget
- Lavender Brown, fellow student in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
- Rembrandt Brown, musician in US TV show Sliders
- Sally Brown, sister of Charlie Brown in Peanuts cartoon by Charles Schultz
- Teela Brown, heroine of Larry Niven's Ringworld SF series with in-born good luck
- Tom Brown (character), plucky student in semi-autobiographical Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes, later mentioned in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series
- William Brown (fictional boy), naughty schoolboy hero of Just William by Richmal Crompton
- Agent Brown in The Matrix
Film, television, and theater
- A. Whitney Brown, American comedian
- Aaron Brown, American broadcast journalist
- Alton Brown, American TV chef
- Arnold Brown (comedian), Scottish comedian
- Barry Brown, (1951-1978), American actor
- Clarence Brown, American movie director
- David Brown (producer) (born 1916), American movie producer
- George Brown (Union official), president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes
- Harry Brown (journalist), Canadian radio and television host
- James Brown (TV personality) (born 1951), American television sports personality
- Jaclynn Tiffany Brown (Jackie Brown) American Actress
- Joe Brown (judge) (born 1947), television judge on the Judge Joe Brown show
- Joe E. Brown (comedian) (1892-1973), American actor and comedian
- Robert Brown (actor) (1921-2003), English actor
- Robert Latham Brown, producer, production manager, and author
- Theo Wade Brown (1950-2002), British designer and eccentric, well-known member of the London special effects community
- Tom Brown (actor) (1913-1990), film and television actor
History, philosophy, and religion
- Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army) (1913-2002), 11th General of The Salvation Army
- George Brown (missionary) (1835-1917), English missionary to Fiji, Samoa
- John Brown (clergyman) (1784-1858), Scottish clergyman and writer
- John Brown (theologian) (1722-1787), Scottish clergyman and Biblical commentator
- John Brown (vicar) (died 1845), an eloquent British evangelical preacher and Vicar of St. Mary's Leicester
- Peter Brown (historian) (born 1935), Irish historian specializing in the period of Late Antiquity and study of the cult of saints
- Thomas Brown (philosopher) (1778-1820), Scottish philosopher
- William Brown (clergyman) (1766-1835), Scottish clergyman and Hebraist
Literature
- Alice Brown (writer) (1856-1948), American novelist
- Bill Brown (critical theory), American author and professor of English at the University of Chicago
- Charles Brockden Brown, American novelist
- Dan Brown, American novelist; author of The Da Vinci Code
- Dee Brown (novelist), American novelist and historian
- Eric Brown, science fiction author
- Fredric Brown, science fiction and mystery author
- George Douglas Brown (1869-1902), Scottish novelist
- George Mackay Brown (1921-1996), Scottish poet, author, and dramatist
- Harry Brown (writer) (1917-1986), American screenwriter and novelist
- Helen Gurley Brown (born 1922), author, publisher, and businesswoman
- James Cooke Brown (1921-2000), sociologist
- John Brown (essayist) (1715-1766), English divine and author
- John Brown (fugitive slave) (c. 1810-1876), writer of Slave Life in Georgia: A Narrative of the Life, Sufferings and Escape of John Brown
- Norman O. Brown (1913-2002), American literary scholar
- Rita Mae Brown (born 1944), American writer and social activist
- Rosel George Brown (1926-1967), American science fiction author
- Thomas Edward Brown (1830-1897), Manx poet, scholar, and divine
- Tina Brown (born 1953), English journalist and author, biographer of Princess Diana
- Tom Brown (naturalist) (born 1950), an American outdoorsman and nature writer
- Tom Brown (satirist) (c. 1663-1704), English translator and satirist
- William Wells Brown (1814-1884), African American writer and abolitionist
Military
- Chris Wreford-Brown, commanded HMS Conqueror (S48), first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a ship.
- George Brown (soldier) (1790-1865), British Army officer
- George Scratchley Brown (1918-1978), Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- Harry Brown (VC) (1898-1917), Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Jacob Jennings Brown (1775-1828), U.S. Army officer in the War of 1812
- John Brown (spy), British POW and spy during the Second World War
- Peter Brown (VC) (1837-1894), Swedish recipient of the Victoria Cross
- Tom Brown (hero) (1705-1746), hero of the Battle of Dettingen
- William Brown (soldier) (18th century), American Revolutionary War soldier
- William Brown (admiral) (1777-1857), Irish-born Argentine Navy admiral
- William Brown (sailor), Black woman who served in the Royal Navy disguised as a man
Music
- Andy Brown (Zimbabwean musician), a musician from Zimbabwe
- Arthur Brown (musician), English rock and roll singer
- Ayla Brown, (born 1988) American singer, college basketball player and former American Idol contestant
- Barry Brown (singer), Jamaican reggae singer
- Bill Brown (composer) (born 1969), American composer
- Bobby Brown, (born 1969) American rhythm and blues singer
- Chris Brown (singer), American rhythm and blues singer and dancer
- Charles Brown (musician), American blues singer
- Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter
- David Brown (musician), American musician
- David Brown (Australian musician), Australian musician
- Dennis Brown, Jamaican reggae singer
- Earle Brown, American experimental composer
- George Brown (musician) (born 1949), drummer for Kool & the Gang
- Harold Ray Brown (born 1946, member of the 1970s band, War
- Ian Brown solo artist and former lead singer in The Stone Roses
- James Brown (musician) (1933-2006), American soul and funk singer and bandleader
- Jocelyn Brown, American R&B and dance music singer
- Joe Brown (singer) (born 1941), British singer
- Julie Brown, American actress and singer
- Junior Brown, American country singer
- Les Brown, big band leader
- Lew Brown, American lyricist
- Melanie Brown, English pop singer
- Peter Brown (singer) (born 1953), singer, songwriter, and producer
- Robert E. Brown (1927-2005), American ethnomusicologist
- Rosemary Brown (spiritualist) (1916-2001), spirit medium and classical pianist
- Ruth Brown, American singer
- Steve Brown (bass player) (1890-1965), American jazz musician and string bass player from New Orleans
- Steve Brown (composer), British television composer
- Tom Brown (trombonist) (1888-1958), American jazz trombonist and bandleader
- The Five Browns; classical piano musical group; Ryan, Melody, Gregory, Deondra, and Desirae.
- Wilfred Brown English tenor
- Willie Brown (musician) (1900-1952), American delta blues guitarist and singer
Politics
Australia
- Bob Brown (born 1944), Australian green politician
- Bob Brown (Australian Labor politician)
- Carol Brown, Australian Senator
- Peter Nicholas Brown (1797-1846), first Colonial Secretary of Western Australia (1829-1846)
- Thomas Brown (Western Australian politician) (1803-1863), Australian pastoralist and politician
Canada
- Bill Brown (politician) (born 1973), Canadian city councillor at Dryden, Ontario
- George Brown (Canadian politician) (1818-1880), Scottish-born Canadian politician
- Rosemary Brown (politician) (1930-2003)
- William Brown (Manitoba politician), politician in Manitoba, 1922-1927
New Zealand
- Peter Brown (politician) (born 1939), New Zealand First MP
South Africa
- Peter Brown (South African politician) (1924-2004), founding member of the South African Liberal Party
United Kingdom
- Ernest Brown (1881-1962), British politician
- Gordon Brown (born 1951), Current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- George Brown, Baron George-Brown (1914-1985), British politician
- James Brown (politician) (1862-1939), Member of Parliament for Ayrshire, UK
- Robert Brown (English politician) (born 1921), English politician
- Robert Brown (Scottish politician) (born 1947), Scottish politician
United States
- Adam M. Brown (1826-1901), Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1901
- Benjamin Gratz Brown (1826-1885), Governor of Missouri
- Charles Brown (California) (born 1949), candidate for Congress in Northern California
- several people named George Brown, incluing:
- George Brown, Jr. (1920-1999), U.S. Representative from California
- George H. Brown (congressman) (1810-1865), represented New Jersey 's 4th congressional district from 1853 to 1855.
- Harold Brown (Secretary of Defense) (born 1927), American physicist
- Henry B. Brown (1836-1914), U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- Henry E. Brown, Jr. (born 1935), U.S. Representative from South Carolina
- James Brown (senator) (1766-1835), U.S. Senator from Louisiana
- James S. Brown (1824-1878), American mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and U.S. Representative from Wisconsin
- Jerry Brown (born 1938), Governor of California from 1975-1983
- John Brown (Kentucky) (1757-1837), member of Continental Congress from Virginia
- John Brown (Maryland) (c.1760-1815), United States representative from Maryland
- John Brown (North Carolina) (1737-1812), pioneer and statesman from North Carolina
- John Brown (Pennsylvania) (1772-1845), United States representative from Pennsylvania
- John Brown (Rhode Island) (1736-1803), United States representative from Rhode Island
- John Brewer Brown (1836-1898), United States representative from Maryland
- John C. Brown (1827-1889), Tennessee governor
- John Robert Brown (judge) (1909-1993), a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- John W. Brown (New York politician) (1796-1875), United States representative from New York
- John William Brown (1913-1993), Governor of Ohio for eleven days in 1957
- John Y. Brown, Sr. (1900-1985), United States Representative from Kentucky
- John Y. Brown, Jr. (born 1933), Democratic Governor of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983
- Joseph E. Brown (1821-1894) American governor of Georgia
- Joseph O. Brown (1848-1903), Mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1901-1903
- Melissa Brown, ophthalmologist and several-time candidate from Pennsylvania for the United States House of Representatives
- Pat Brown (1905-1996), Governor of California from 1959-1967
- Scott P. Brown, State Senator from Massachusetts
- Sherrod Brown (born 1952), U.S. Senator from Ohio
- Thomas Brown (politician) (1785-1867), American politician
- Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. (born 1934), American mayor of San Francisco
Sports
- Bill Brown (cricketer) (born 1912), Australian cricketer
- Bill Brown (goalkeeper) (1931-2004), Scots/English goalkeeper
- Bill Brown (football) (born 1938), American football running back
- Bob Brown (footballer), football manager
- Bob Brown (NFL) (born 1941), American NFL football player
- Bob Brown (runner) (born 1969), British ultra-distance runner
- Bobby Brown (baseball) (born 1924), American Major League Baseball player and American League president
- Bobby Brown (football), Scottish football player and manager
- Charles Wreford-Brown, former captain of the England Soccer Team
- David Brown (cricketer) (born 1942), English cricketer
- David Brown (golfer) (died 1930), Scottish golfer
- Dougie Brown, Scottish cricketer
- George Brown (cricketer) (1887-1964), English cricketer
- Gilbert Brown (born 1971), American NFL football defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers
- Godfrey Brown (1915-1995), British runner
- Ike Brown (1942-2001), American baseball player
- Jackie Brown (boxer), professional boxer
- Jammal Brown (born 1981), American NFL football left tackle for the New Orleans Saints
- James Brown (footballer) (born 1987), English footballer for Hartlepool United F.C.
- Jim Brown (baseball) (1860-1908), American baseball player
- Jim Brown (born 1936), American football player and film actor
- Joe Brown (climber) (born 1930), English climber
- Joe Brown (boxer) (1926-1997), American boxer
- Joe Brown (footballer born 1920), English footballer
- Joe Brown (footballer born 1929), English footballer and manager
- Joe Brown (footballer born 1988), English footballer
- José Luis Brown (born 1956), Argentine football (soccer) player
- John Brown (bridge expert), a contract bridge expert
- John Brown (footballer), football player for Rangers Football Club
- Kerrith Brown (born 1962), British judoka
- Larry Brown (basketball), professional basketball coach
- Marian Brown, part of the San Francisco Twins
- Martha Brown (born 1900), American figure skater
- Michael Brown (footballer) (born 1977), English footballer for Wigan Athletic
- Monty Brown, American professional wrestler
- Mordecai Brown ("Three Fingers"), pitcher in Major League Baseball
- Nathan Brown (rugby league), Australian rugby league player and coach
- Nathan D. Brown (born 1976), Australian rules footballer
- Nathan G. Brown (born 1978), Australian rules footballer
- Paul Brown, American football coach
- Peter Brown (rugby player) (born 1941), Scottish rugby player
- Phil Brown (footballer) (born 1959), English football player and manager of Derby County F.C.
- Phil Brown (1966 footballer) (born 1966), English football player and manager of Matlock Town F.C.
- Rachel Brown (born 1980), English football player
- Ronnie Brown (born 1981), American football player
- Sailor Brown (born 1915), English footballer
- Scott Brown, (born 1985) Scottish footballer
- Sean Brown, professional ice hockey player
- Shannon Brown (born 1985), American basketball player
- Sheldon Brown, American football player
- Steve Brown (footballer) (born 1966), English footballer
- Tom Brown (19th-century baseball player) (1860-1927), Liverpool-born American baseball player and manager
- Tom Brown (tennis player) (born 1921), a fine amateur tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s
- Troy Brown (born 1971), wideout for the New England Patriots
- Tommy Brown (born 1927), American Major League Baseball infielder
- Wesley Brown (born 1979), English football player for Manchster United
- Willie Brown (football player) (born 1940), American football Hall-of-Fame cornerback
- Vivian Brown, part of the San Francisco Twins
Other fields
- Archie Brown, British academic and historian
- Arthur Whitten Brown (1886-1948), Scottish aviator
- David M. Brown (1956-2003), American astronaut
- Derren Brown, English magician and psychological illusionist
- Henry Box Brown (born 1815), slave who had himself mailed in a box to freedom
- John Brown (servant) (1826-1883), Scottish servant of Queen Victoria
- Louis M. Brown (1909-1996), US lawyer and pioneer of preventive law
- Margaret Brown (1867-1932), American socialite and philanthropist, Titanic survivor, also known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"
- mrbrown, a prominent Singaporean blogger
- Robert A. Brown, President of Boston University
References
- ^ Frequently Occurring First Names and Surnames From the 1990 Census
- ^ Brown (2006). Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1), Random House.
- ^ http://www.scotsconnection.com/clan_crests/Brown.htm.
