Skip to main content

Updated August 21, 2024

Table of contents

Boy name origins & meanings

  • German : Brown's son
  • English : Color name; son of the dark man

How Popular Is The Name Brown

Family name origins & meanings

  • English, Scottish, and Irish : generally a nickname referring to the color of the hair or complexion, Middle English br(o)un, from Old English brūn or Old French brun. This word is occasionally found in Old English and Old Norse as a personal name or byname. Brun- was also a Germanic name-forming element. Some instances of Old English Brūn as a personal name may therefore be short forms of compound names such as Brūngar, Brūnwine, etc. As a Scottish and Irish name, it sometimes represents a translation of Gaelic Donn. As an American family name, it has absorbed numerous surnames from other languages with the same meaning.

Famous people with this last name

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe