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

Wilson-Brown, 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 Wilson-Brown surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wilson-Brown in America

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

The Wilson-Brown 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 Wilson-Brown.

The history of the last name Wilson-Brown

The surname Wilsonbrown has roots primarily in the British Isles, particularly in England and Scotland. The name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, a period notable for the solidification of surnames as identifiers across Europe. The surname appears to be a compound name, originated through the combination of two distinct surnames: Wilson and Brown.

Wilson is derived from the Old English patronymic naming convention, indicating "son of Wil," with Wil being a short form of William. William itself originates from the Norman form of the Germanic name Willahelm, composed of the elements "wil" meaning desire or will, and "helm" meaning helmet or protection. The surname Brown, on the other hand, has Old English and Old Norse roots, stemming from the word “brun,” which denotes the color brown, likely referring to someone with brown hair, complexion, or clothing.

Historical records indicate that both Wilson and Brown were prevalent surnames in medieval England. One of the earliest recorded instances of Wilson appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records in 1379 with individuals named Robertus Willeson and Johannes Wilsone. Similarly, the surname Brown appears in the Lancashire "Feet of Fines" from 1196, where an individual named Godwin Brun is mentioned. The compound form Wilsonbrown, however, is a later development and not found in these earliest records due to its dual-origin nature.

By the 17th century, the blending of surnames through marriage or for identification purposes became more common, likely giving rise to the surname Wilsonbrown. References to Wilsonbrown can be found in parish registers and legal documents from the late 18th and early 19th centuries in both England and Scotland. For instance, a notable historical mention is of Thomas Wilsonbrown, an agriculturalist from Northumberland, born in 1784.

One famous bearer of the surname is John Wilsonbrown, a prominent landowner and philanthropist in Edinburgh, born in 1802 and died in 1879. Another noteworthy individual is Helen Wilsonbrown, a suffragist and women's rights activist from Manchester, born in 1846 and died in 1913. Moving into the literary realm, Edward Wilsonbrown, born in 1891, was a recognized poet whose works flourished during the early 20th century.

In more recent historical context, Captain James Wilsonbrown, born in 1923 and died in 1991, was a decorated officer in the British Navy during World War II. His contributions to several naval battles were well-documented, and he played a pivotal role in post-war reconstruction efforts. The surname also graced the sciences with Dr. Amelia Wilsonbrown, a pioneering neurologist in the mid-20th century, born in 1930, whose research significantly advanced understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

The surname Wilsonbrown embodies a rich historical fusion of two distinct yet deeply rooted names from the British Isles, reflecting a lineage that traverses several centuries and domains of influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wilson-Brown

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wilson-Brown.

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 Wilson-Brown 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.

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 Wilson-Brown was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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