Brown

A very common surname in the U.S., Canada, and parts of Europe. The Brown surname originated in 10th Century England Other Brown tribes came from Scottland and Germany (German Browns usually spell their name Braun). Historically, many immigrants arriving in the U.S. changed their names to common American names with Brown being a favorite for it's commonality and short simplicity. An almost impossible surname to have to research if attempting to trace one's family tree due (of course) to the large number of Browns in the population. Especially in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. In "Brown circles" (with respect to Genealogy) this phenomena is often referred to as coming up against the "Brown Brick Wall". Browns have a long history in the U.S. and were amongst the first European settlers. A Mr. Brown was a registered passanger on The Mayflower ship that came over from England (the very first one). Long live the Browns.