Origin
Brun : 1: French Catalan and Scandinavian; North German (also Brün): nickname from French and Catalan brun Middle Low German brūn ‘brown’ referring to the color of the hair complexion or clothing. As a surname of French origin it is also found in Haiti. Compare French Lebrun and German Bruen.2: North German Scandinavian and Dutch: from the ancient Germanic personal name Brun(o) from brūna ‘brown’. See also Braun.3: English and Scottish: variant of Brown.4: Slovenian: nickname from dialect brun ‘brown’ a word of Middle High German or Italian origin.
Beaubrun : West Indian (mainly Haiti also Martinique and Dominican Republic): from French beau brun ‘beautiful brown’ hence a nickname referring to an individual's hair or skin color.
Braun : 1: German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from German braun ‘brown’ (Middle High German brūn) referring to the color of the hair complexion or clothing.2: German: from the personal name Bruno which was borne by the Dukes of Saxony among others from the 10th century or before. It was also the name of several medieval German and Italian saints including Saint Bruno the founder of the Carthusian order (1030–1101) who was born in Cologne. See also Brun.
Brimberry : Americanized form of Swedish Brunberg: ornamental name from brun ‘brown’ + berg ‘mountain hill’.
Brine : 1: English (southern): from an early Middle English personal name Brine (Old English Bryni) a pet form of names in Brūn from brūn ‘brown’.2: Welsh: possibly a variant of Bryan or O'Brien as a result of Irish immigration into southwest Wales or a habitational name from the Pembrokes lordship of Dyffryn Breuan.3: In some cases possibly also an Americanizedd form of German Brein a variant of Breun.
Brinsford : 1: from Brinsford near Wolverhampton (Staffs) which is recorded as Brunesford in 1176 and Bruneford in 1227. The place-name derives from the Old English personal name Brūn in the genitive case with -es + Old English ford ‘shallow place by which water can be crossed ford’. Some post-medieval bearers may belong under (2). 2: perhaps occasionally from Brinsworth (WR Yorks) which is recorded as Brinesford' Brynesford' from the 11th to 14th century. The place-name derives from the Old English personal name Brȳni + Old English ford.
Brinsley : from Brinsley (Notts). The place-name is probably from the Old English male given name Brūn in the genitive case with -es + lēah ‘clearing wood’.
Broman : 1: English: from the Middle English personal name Bruman Bruneman Old English Brūnmann (from brūn ‘brown’ + mann ‘man’).2: Swedish: ornamental name composed of the elements bro ‘bridge’ + man ‘man’.
Brooman : from the Old English personal name Brūnmann (from brūn 'brown' + mann 'man').
Brown : 1: 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 French Middle English and Old Norse as a personal name or byname (Middle English personal name Brun Broun ancient Germanic Bruno Old English Brūn or possibly Old Norse Brúnn or Brúni). Brun- was also an ancient 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 (see below). Brown (including in the senses below) is the fourth most frequent surname in the US. It is also very common among African Americans and Native Americans (see also 5 below).2: Irish and Scottish: adopted for Ó Duinn (see Dunn) or for any of the many Irish and Scottish Gaelic names containing the element donn ‘brown-haired’ (also meaning ‘chieftain’) for example Donahue.3: Irish: phonetic Anglicization of Mac an Bhreitheamhnaigh; see Breheny.4: Americanized form (translation into English or assimilation) of various European surnames meaning ‘brown’ or derived from a word meaning ‘brown’ including the like-sounding German and Jewish surname Braun which is by far most common among them Jewish Bron and Slovenian Erjavec.5: Native American: translation into English and shortening of a personal name composed of a word meaning ‘brown’. In many cases however this surname was chosen because it is a one of the most common English surnames in North America (see 1 above).
Brownell : English: topographic name for someone who lived ‘(by the) brown hill or corner of land’ from Middle English brun(e) broun(e) + hil ‘hill’ or hale ‘nook corner’ (Old English brūn + hyll or halh) or a habitational name from any of various places so named for example in Yorkshire Cheshire and Staffordshire.
Brownhill : English: habitational name from any of several places called in Old English as brūn hyll ‘brown hill’ or brūn halh ‘brown nook’. As a Yorkshire name it is probably from Brown Hill in Cartworth.
Brownie : English: nickname for someone with brown eyes from Middle English brun broun ‘brown’ + eie ‘eye’ (Old English brūn + ēage). This form of the surname is most common in Aberdeenshire.
Browning : English (southern): from the Middle English personal name Brouning (Old English Brūning) a derivative of the byname Brūn (see Brown).
Brownjohn : from Middle English broun ‘brown’ + the personal name John hence ‘Brown John’. Compare Brun Edrith (i.e. Edrich) 1255 in Hundred Rolls (Shrops) Adam Brounadam 1329 in Colchester Court Rolls.
Brownlee : Scottish: habitational name from Brownlee in Lanarkshire or Ayrshire both named with Old English brūn ‘brown’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Brownley : 1: Scottish: variant of Brownlee.2: English: habitational name from Brownley Green in Beausale (Warwickshire) named with Old English brūn ‘brown’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Brownlow : English: habitational name from any of the places in Lancashire and Cheshire named Brownlow all probably from Old English brūn ‘brown’ + Old English hlāw ‘hill mound’.
Brownrigg : English: habitational name from Brownrigg in Cumbria from Old English brūn ‘brown’ + hrycg ‘ridge’.
Brownsell : 1: from any of several places named from Middle English personal name Brun Broun + the gentival inflection -es- + hil(le) hul(le) ‘hill’ such as Brownshill in Blechingley (Surrey). Some examples may belong under (2) or (3). 2: from a lost or as yet unidentified place named from Brun Broun + -es- + wel(le) ‘stream water source’. 3: sometimes perhaps from a side form of Burnsall (WR Yorks); compare Redmonds Dictionary of Yorks Surnames.
Brownsmith : from Middle English broun + smyth ‘brown smith’ (Old English brūn + smið) for a worker in copper and brass. Compare Greensmith.
Bruen : 1: Irish: variant of Breen.2: North German (Brün): from Middle Low German brūn ‘brown’ hence probably a nickname for someone with brown hair or a dark complexion or for someone who habitually wore brown clothes. Compare Braun and Brun.
Brumm : German:: 1: nickname for a noisy or restless person from a derivative of Middle High German brummen ‘to buzz to grumble’.2: from Brumo a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name formed with Old High German Old Saxon brūn ‘brown’ (see Brummund). Compare Brummer.
Brummer : 1: German (also Brümmer): variant of Brumm. Compare Bruemmer.3: Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname from 1 or alternatively for a person who hummed Yiddish brumer.2: English: from the Old English personal name Brūnmǣr (from brūn ‘brown’ + mǣre ‘famous’).
Brummund : German: from a medieval personal name Brunomund formed with Old High German Old Saxon brūn ‘brown’.
Brunache : French: habitational name from Brunache a lost place in Hautes-Alpes in southeastern France recorded as Brunacha in the 15th century or perhaps from (Les) Brunaches a farm name in the same department. The placename could be ultimately derived from brun ‘brown’. This surname is rare in France. In the US it is (almost exclusively) of Haitian origin.
Brunell : 1: English (Lancashire): nickname denoting someone with a brownish complexion from Middle English burnel a metathesized form of Old French brunel a diminutive of Old French brun ‘brown’; used also as a personal name.2: Swedish: ornamental name from brun ‘brown’ + the suffix -ell a derivative of the Latin adjectival ending -elius.3: German (also Brünell): nickname meaning ‘brown’ (see Brun).4: Catalan: from brunell a diminutive of bru ‘brown’.
Bruner : 1: German: nickname from Old High German Old Saxon Brūn (see Brun).2: German and Jewish: variant of Brunner.
Brungardt : German: from an early medieval personal name (presumably Brungard) formed with Old High German Old Saxon brūn ‘brown’ + gart ‘fence enclosure’.
Brunke : 1: South German: from Middle High German brunke ‘splendor’ hence probably a nickname for an ostentatious dresser.2: North German: from a pet form of the personal name Brun(o) or the byname Brūn (see Brun).
Brunot : 1: French and West Indian (mainly Haiti): nickname from a diminutive of French brun ‘brown’ (see Brun).2: Altered form of French Brenot itself a variant of Bernot.
Brunsdon : from the Middle English continuation of the Old English personal name Brūnstān (from brūn 'brown' + stān 'stone').
Brunson : English: usually from the Middle English personal name Brun (Old English Brūna or Old Norse Brúni) + -son ‘Brown's son’. See Brown. There may also be occasional survivals of an Old English compound personal name Brūnsunu ‘brown son’ attested in the Domesday Book and presumably given to a child with brown hair or complexion. Whether it was also used as an adult nickname is uncertain. This form of the surname is most common in Norfolk.
Brunwin : from the Old English personal name Brūnwine a late and rare Old English name from brūn 'brown' + wine 'friend'.
Brunyee : from Middle English brun broun ‘brown’ + eie ‘eye’ (Old English brūn + ēage). Compare Blackie (2) Greeney and Whitty (2).
Bryne : 1: English: variant of Brine.2: Norwegian: habitational name from any of several farms named Bryne from Old Norse brún ‘brim edge’ + -e from vin ‘meadow’.
Burnage : probably from Brownage in Odell (Beds) rather than from Burnage in Manchester (Lancs) though there is no evidence for a Brun- form in surnames. The place-name is from Old English brūn ‘brown’ + ecg ‘edge ridge’.
Burnett : 1: Scottish and Irish (Tyrone and Antrim): descriptive nickname of Norman origin from Old French burnete a diminutive of brun ‘brown’ (see Brown) or possibly in some instances a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of burnete a high quality woolen cloth originally dark brown in color.2: Probably also an altered form of English Barnett.3: In some cases also an altered form of French Burnet; compare Burnette.
Burnley : English (Lancashire and Yorkshire): habitational name from Burnley in Lancashire so named with the Old English river name Brun (from brūn ‘brown’ or burna ‘stream’) + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Eisenbraun : 1: German: probably from the Middle High German personal name Isenbrun or a nickname for someone with a swarthy complexion from Middle High German īsen ‘iron’ + brūn ‘brown’.2: Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial compound of German Eisen ‘iron’ + braun ‘brown’.
Le Brun : from French brun ‘brown’ with the definite article le. Compare Brown.
Valbrun : French and Haitian: topographic name composed of val ‘valley’ and brun ‘dark’. This surname is very rare in France. It was brought to the US from Haiti.
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Source : DAFN2 : Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, ©2022 by Patrick Hanks and Oxford University Press
FANBI : The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, ©2021, University of the West of England
FANBI : The Oxford Dictionary if Family Names in Britain and Ireland, ©2016, University of the West of England
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