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

Brownwood, 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 Brownwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brownwood in America

Brownwood is the 158432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brownwood surname appeared 102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brownwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brownwood 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 Brownwood

The surname Brownwood originates from England, with roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brun" meaning brown and "wudu" meaning wood, likely referring to a person who lived near or in a wooded area with brown trees or foliage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Brownwood can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, where a William de Brunwude is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and possibly earlier.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Brunwude, Brounwode, and Brownwod in various county records across England. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation during that time period.

The Brownwood surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Brownwood in Essex and Brownwode in Shropshire. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname after living near or being associated with these locations.

Notable historical figures bearing the Brownwood surname include:

1. John Brownwood (c. 1490-1559), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. Richard Brownwood (1570-1638), a merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who was involved in the cloth trade.
3. Elizabeth Brownwood (1625-1695), a Puritan author and poet from Cambridgeshire, known for her religious writings.
4. Thomas Brownwood (1680-1742), a wealthy businessman and landowner from Yorkshire, who served as a local magistrate.
5. William Brownwood (1720-1789), a British Army officer who fought in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

These examples provide insight into the historical presence and significance of the Brownwood surname, spanning various regions of England and occupations over several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brownwood

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

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 Brownwood 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 Brownwood 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 Brownwood was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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