Find out how popular the last name Browning is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Browning.

Browning, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Browning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Browning in America

Browning is the 797th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Browning surname appeared 43,329 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Browning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Browning to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Browning

The surname Browning has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is a descriptive occupational name derived from the Old English words "brun" and "browne," meaning brown or brown-haired person. The name likely referred to someone who worked with brown dyes or fabrics, or perhaps someone with a distinctly brown complexion.

In the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, dated 1273, there is a record of a Robert le Brunnynge, an early spelling variation of the name. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Browning surname, but it does mention several place names that may have influenced its development, such as Brownsover in Warwickshire and Brownhills in Staffordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Browning surname was Robert Browning, a renowned English poet born in 1812 and died in 1889. He is widely regarded as one of the foremost Victorian poets, known for his dramatic monologues and complex verse forms. His wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was also a celebrated poet, born in 1806 and died in 1861.

Another notable figure with the Browning surname was John Browning, an American firearms designer born in 1855 and died in 1926. He is credited with developing several innovative and influential firearms designs, including the M1911 semi-automatic pistol and the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

In the 16th century, Sir John Browning was a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, in 1559. He was also the owner of the Debden estate in Essex, which remained in the Browning family for several generations.

The surname Browning has also been associated with various place names, such as Browning Hill in Gloucestershire, Browning's Farm in Kent, and Browning's Piece in Suffolk. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Browning surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, the Browning surname has been recorded in various spellings, including Browninge, Brouning, Brownyng, and Brownynge, reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions in earlier times. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained consistent, reflecting its deep-rooted connection to the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Browning

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Browning.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Browning was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Browning has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Browning was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Browning, please contact us.

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