Show ContentsBrownell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Brownell surname is thought to be a habitational name, created from any of various places in England called Brownell. There was a Brownell in Yorkshire, in Cheshire, and in Staffordshire. These place names in turn come from the Old English "brun,"meaning "brown," and "hyll" meaning "a hill." [1]

Early Origins of the Brownell family

The surname Brownell was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times. The Brownell surname may even pre-date the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Brownell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownell research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1329 are included under the topic Early Brownell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Brownell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Brownell, Brounell, Brownel and others.

Early Notables of the Brownell family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Thomas Brownell of Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Brownell Ranking

In the United States, the name Brownell is the 4,675th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [2]


United States Brownell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brownell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Anne Brownell who settled in Massachusetts in 1630 with her husband Thomas
  • Thomas Brownell, who landed in Rhode Island in 1638 [3]
Brownell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Silas Brownell, who arrived in New York in 1823
  • T. A. A. W. Brownell arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850
  • E. H. Brownell, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1892
  • E. F. Brownell, aged 35, who settled in America, in 1893
  • Clara Brownell, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1894
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Brownell Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Adela Brownell, who settled in America, in 1900
  • A.S. Brownell, aged 40, who landed in America from London, in 1904
  • Carl W. Brownell, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1904
  • Anna J. Brownell, aged 55, who immigrated to America, in 1905
  • Elizabeth A. Brownell, aged 59, who landed in America, in 1905
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Brownell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Brownell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Jeremiah Brownell U.E. who settled in Westmoreland County, New Brunswick c. 1783 he died in 1835 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Brownell (post 1700) +

  • Frederick Brownell, American inventor and manufacturer, co-founder of the Brownell Car Company, a horsecar and streetcar builder in St. Louis, Missouri in 1875
  • William E. Brownell Ph.D.,, American professor in the Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
  • Mia Brownell (b. 1971), American painter
  • Kelly David Brownell (b. 1951), American clinical psychologist and scholar, known for his work on obesity and food policy, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University through the 2018 academic year
  • John Brownell (1765-1809), American who was taken prisoner during the American Revolution, Canadian farmer and politician in Upper Canada who represented Stormont & Russell in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1808 to 1809
  • Francis Edwin Brownell (1840-1894), Union Army soldier who received a Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War
  • William "Bill" Brownell, American professional basketball player and coach in the 1940s
  • Baker Brownell (1887-1965), American philosopher, born in St. Charles, Illinois
  • William Crary Brownell (1851-1928), American journalist and literary critic, born in New York City
  • Sonia Mary Brownell (1918-1980), better known as Sonia Orwell, second and last wife of writer George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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