Brown (surname)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
-
For other uses, see Brown (disambiguation).
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]
Contents
|
[edit] 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.[2]
[edit] Notable people with the surname Brown
[edit] 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
- Olympia Brown (1835–1926), American women's suffragist
[edit] 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), a British architect in the 19th century
- John George Brown (1831–1913), American painter born Durham, UK
[edit] Business
- Bobbi Brown, makeup artist and entrepreneur
- Sir David Brown (entrepreneur) (1904–1993), British entrepreneur
- Howard Brown, spokesman for Halifax bank in the U.K.
[edit] 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
[edit] 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), British mathematician and astronomer
- George H. Brown (1908–1987), American research engineer who developed color television
- G. Spencer-Brown (born 1923), British 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
- 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
[edit] Fiction
- Brown family, hobbits who appear in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
- Charlie Brown, cartoon character in Peanuts by Charles Schultz
- Doctor Emmett Brown, the "crazy, wild-eyed" scientist from the Back to the Future trilogy, played by Christopher Lloyd
- Father Brown, fictional detective created by G. K. Chesterton
- John Brown, protagonist of the 1999 film Inspector Gadget
- Lavender Brown, character in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling
- Rembrandt Brown Fictional character from the US TV show Sliders.
- Tom Brown (character), a fictional character in novels by Thomas Hughes and George MacDonald Fraser
- William Brown, fictional schoolboy character from Just William
[edit] 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
- 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), British 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
[edit] 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
[edit] 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 author
- 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
- Tom Brown (naturalist) (born 1950), an American outdoorsman and nature writer
- Tom Brown (satirist) (1663(2?)–1704), English translator and satirist
- William Wells Brown (1814–1884), African American writer and abolitionist
[edit] Military
- 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 Scottish woman who served in the Royal Navy disguised as a man
[edit] Music
- Andy Brown (musician), a musician from Zimbabwe
- Arthur Brown, British rock and roll singer
- Bill Brown (composer) (born 1969), American composer
- Bobby Brown, American rhythm and blues singer
- 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
- George Brown (musician) (born 1949), drummer for Kool & the Gang
- Harold Brown, member of the 1970s band War
- James Brown (musician) (born 1933), American soul and funk singer and bandleader
- 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, British 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
- Willie Brown (musician) (1900–1952), American delta blues guitarist and singer
- Jonathan BrownNotable Head of music at Pangbourne College.
[edit] Politics
[edit] Australia
- Bob Brown (born 1944), Australian politician
- Peter Nicholas Brown (1797–1846), first Colonial Secretary of Western Australia (1829–1846)
- Thomas Brown (Western Australian politician) (1803–1863), Australian pastoralist and politician
[edit] Canada
- Bill Brown (politician) (born 1973), Canadian city councillor at Dryden, Ontario
- George Brown (Canadian politician) (1818–1880), Scottish-born Canadian politician
- Rosemary Brown, Canadian politician
- William Brown (Manitoba politician), Canadian politician in Manitoba, 1922–1927
[edit] United Kingdom
- Ernest Brown, British politician
- Gordon Brown, British Labour politician
- 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
[edit] United States
- Benjamin Gratz Brown, Governor of Missouri
- Charles Brown (California), candidate for Congress in Northern California
- George E. Brown, Jr., U.S. Representative from California
- 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, Governor of California from 1975–1983
- Jimmy Brown (tennis), tennis player in the 1980s
- John Brown (Kentucky) (1757–1837), member of Continental Congress from Virginia
- John Brown (Maryland) (died 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), Kentucky governor
- Joseph E. Brown (1821–1894) American governor of Georgia
- Pat Brown, Governor of California from 1959–1967
- Thomas Brown (politician) (1785–1867), American politician
- Willie Brown (politician) (born 1934), African-American mayor of San Francisco
[edit] Other countries
- Peter Brown (politician) (born 1939), New Zealand First MP
- Peter Brown (South African politician) (1924–2004), founding member of the South African Liberal Party
[edit] 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 (born 1969), American R&B singer
- 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
- Cleveland Browns, a team in the National Football League
- 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
- Jimmy Brown (tennis), American tennis player
- Joe Brown (climber) (born 1930), English climber
- Joe Brown (boxer) (1926–1997), American boxer
- John Brown (bridge expert), a contract bridge expert
- John Brown (footballer), football player for Rangers Football Club
- Larry Brown, professional basketball coach
- Marian Brown, part of the San Francisco Twins
- Martha Brown (born 1900), American figure skater
- Mordecai Brown ("Three Fingers"), pitcher in Major League Baseball
- 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.
- Sean Brown, professional ice hockey player
- Shannon Brown (born 1985), American basketball 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
- Tommy Brown (born 1927), American Major League Baseball infielder
- Willie Brown (football player) (born 1940), American football Hall-of-Fame cornerback
- Vivian Brown, part of the San Francisco Twins
[edit] Other fields
- Arthur Whitten Brown (1886–1948), Scottish aviator
- David M. Brown (1956–2003), American astronaut
- Derren Brown, British 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
- 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
[edit] References
- ^ Frequently Occurring First Names and Surnames From the 1990 Census
- ^ Brown. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1), Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Brown (accessed: October 18, 2006).
