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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
The name Brownjohn is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a person named John who had brown hair or a dark complexion. The personal name John was so common in medieval times that a qualifying adjective became necessary became necessary to distinguish between different people with that name. This was particularly necessary due to the fairly common practice of giving the personal name to all the sons in a family.
The surname Brownjohn was first found in Essex, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Brownjohn research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1349, 1500, 1676 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Brownjohn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Brownjohn has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Brownjohn have been found, including Brownjohn, Browneion, Brownejohn, Bronjohn, Brownjon and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Brownjohn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Brownjohns to arrive on North American shores:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: