First found in county Galway, when they landed in Ireland with Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in 1172.

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Browne: Christopher Browne of Watertown, Massachusetts, John Browne of Salem, Massachusetts, and Thomas Browne of Concord, Massachusetts, who settled in or about the year 1632..

Motto Translated: Boldly and faithfully.

For more information on the last name Browne, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.