<Tr> <Th> Variant (s) </Th> <Td> Braun </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Footnotes: Frequency Comparisons: </Td> </Tr> <P> Brown is an English - language surname in origin chiefly descriptive of a person with brown hair, complexion or clothing . It is one of the most common surnames in English - speaking countries . It is the second most common surname in Canada and Scotland, third most common in Australia and fourth most common in England and the United States . It is particularly clustered in southern Scotland . </P> <P> Most occurrences of the name are derived from a nickname concerning the complexion of an individual, the colour of their hair or the clothing worn . This nickname is derived from the Old English brun, brūn; Middle English brun, broun; or Old French brun . The root word is also sometimes found in Old English and Old Norse bynames, such as the Old Norse Brúnn; however these names were not common after the Norman Conquest (in 1066). In some cases, the Old English personal name Brun may be a short form of one of several compound names, such as Brungar and Brunwine . Early recordings of the English name / surname are: Brun, Brunus in 1066; Conan filius Brun in 1209; Richard Brun, le Brun le mercer in 1111--38; William le Brun in 1169; William Brun 1182--1205; Hugh Bron in 1274; Agnes Broun in 1296; and John le Browne in 1318 . Another of the earliest recorded Browns is John Brown of Stamford, Lincolnshire in 1312 . In Scotland, The People of Medieval Scotland academic project surveys over 8600 extant records from between the years 1093 to 1314 and lists 26 Brouns and 14 Browns on its database </P>

Where does the last name brown come from