Brown
A very common surname originally used as a nickname for someone with brown hair, complexion, or clothing.
The #4 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 215 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Brown comes from the everyday word for the colour brown, ultimately from Old English and older Germanic forms. As a surname, it was first used as a descriptive nickname, typically for a person with brown hair, a darker complexion, or brown dress. The spelling Brown is the modern English form; Browne is a frequent historical variant.
History
By the 19th century, Brown was already counted among the commonest surnames in England and Wales, and it remained highly frequent in Scotland as well. It spread widely through Britain and then across the English-speaking world, so it is now one of the most familiar surnames in the United States and Canada too. Its very commonness made it a standard example in proverb and surname lists alongside names like Smith and Jones.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older surname-writing, Brown was often grouped with other colour-based names such as Black, White, Grey, and Reed.
From the historical record
“BROWKER. See Brookor. BROWN. BROWNE. One of the commonest of our family names, entering into the proverb, " Smith, Jones, Brown, and Kohinson," to designate the ignoUle rnlgus. According to tlie Reg. General's XVI. Report, it stands sixth among the sur- names of England and Wales in point of numbers, AVilliams…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom