2000
#12,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Brownlow
From the Old English elements brun, meaning "brown," and hlaw, meaning "hill," likely referring to someone living near a brown hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,526 Americans carry the last name Brownlow. That puts it at #13,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brownlow surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Brownlow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,691
Census rank
#13,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,203 bearers of the surname Brownlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brownlow
The surname Brownlow is of English origin, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name, specifically a manor in the county of Essex called "Brownlow" or "Brunlau." This place name itself is derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "hlaw" meaning hill or mound, indicating a brown hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brownlow can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1201, where a person named Roger de Brunlau is mentioned. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "Brunlowe."
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Brownlow family held lands and properties in various parts of Essex and Hertfordshire. In the 16th century, a prominent member of the family was Sir John Brownlow (c.1524-1584), who served as Lord Chief Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure with the surname Brownlow was Sir Richard Brownlow (1553-1638), who was a member of Parliament and served as Chief Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King James I. He acquired the estate of Belton House in Lincolnshire, which remained in the Brownlow family for several generations.
In the 17th century, Sir John Brownlow (1594-1668) was a Royalist during the English Civil War and served as a member of Parliament. His grandson, Sir John Brownlow (1659-1697), was a prominent politician and was created Viscount Tyrconnel in the Irish peerage in 1718.
During the 18th century, the Brownlow family continued to hold significant landholdings and influence in Lincolnshire. One notable member was Sir John Brownlow (1690-1754), who served as a member of Parliament and was created Baron Brownlow in 1718.
Throughout history, the surname Brownlow has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Brownlow Hill in Liverpool, Brownlow Street in London, and Brownlow North in Lincolnshire, among others. The surname has also been carried by numerous individuals from different walks of life, including politicians, lawyers, landowners, and military figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brownlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Brownlow bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Brownlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.8% · 1,471
- Black or African American24.1% · 530
- Two or more races4.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brownlow
Brownlow appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,236
+50 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 664 places
2020
#13,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,203
-33 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 295 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,900 | 2,186 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,564 | 2,236 | 0.76 | +50 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 664 places |
| 2020 | #13,269 | 2,203 | 0.74 | -33 bearers (-1.5%) | Up 295 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Brownlow surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,564 | #13,269 | 2.2% |
| Count | 2,236 | 2,203 | -1.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.74 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brownlow bearers went from 2,236 to 2,203 (-1.5% change). The surname moved up 295 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,564 to #13,269.
FAQ
Brownlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brownlow?
Name Census estimates that about 2,526 living Americans carry the surname Brownlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,691 residents.
How common is Brownlow?
Brownlow ranks #13,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,203 people with the surname Brownlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,526), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brownlow.
Has Brownlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brownlow went from 2,236 recorded bearers to 2,203. That is a decrease of 33 (-1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,564 to #13,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Brownlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brownlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.8% (1,471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brownlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.8%), Black (24.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Brownlow (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Brownlow mean?
From the Old English elements brun, meaning "brown," and hlaw, meaning "hill," likely referring to someone living near a brown hill. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Brownlow (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Brownlow?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.