2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Brownwood
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or by a wooded area or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Brownwood. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brownwood 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Brownwood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brownwood
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Brownwood 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 Brownwood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 82
- American Indian and Alaska Native7.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Black or African American4.6% · 5
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brownwood
Brownwood 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-20 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 29,635 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,497 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 29,635 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 7,497 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 Brownwood 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 | #158,432 | #150,935 | 4.7% |
| Count | 102 | 108 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brownwood bearers went from 102 to 108 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 7,497 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #150,935.
FAQ
Brownwood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brownwood?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Brownwood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Brownwood?
Brownwood ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Brownwood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Brownwood.
Has Brownwood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brownwood went from 102 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Brownwood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brownwood, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Brownwood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brownwood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (7.4%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Brownwood (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 Brownwood mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near or by a wooded area or forest. 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 Brownwood (0.04 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 are called Brownwood?
You can see how many people have the surname Brownwood on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.