Explore the Family Name Brow
The meaning of Brow
1. English: either a descriptive nickname for someone with bushy or otherwise distinctive eyebrows, from Middle English broue ‘eyebrow, eyelid, forehead’ (Old English brū), but, more likely, a topographic name for someone who lived at the brow of a hill from a transferred use of the same word; surnames of the type de la Browe are recorded from the end of the 13th century. 2. Altered form of French Brault and also of American French Breaux. Compare Bro and Broe. 3. Americanized form of Dutch Brouw: perhaps a nominal variant of Op den Brouw, a habitational name for someone living at the ‘Brouw’, a toponym of unclear origin, or just a place for beer brewing (Brouw being a shortened form of brouwen ‘to brew’ or brouwer ‘brewer’).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Brow in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Brow" has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 16,427th most common surname in the United States, while in 2010, it dropped to the 17,447th position. This represents a change of -6.21%. However, the actual count of people with this surname has seen a marginal increase from 1,613 in 2000 to 1,616 in 2010, a growth of 0.19%. Accordingly, the proportion per 100,000 people fell by 8.33% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,427 | #17,447 | -6.21% |
| Count | 1,613 | 1,616 | 0.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.6 | 0.55 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Brow
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Brow". The largest group identifying with this surname is White, but its percentage has declined slightly from 88.22% in 2000 to 84.22% in 2010. Meanwhile, the representation of Black individuals among those with this surname increased by 20.55% during this period. There were notable increases in the proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities, with changes of 135.14% and 151.35%, respectively. People of Hispanic ethnicity also saw an increase, rising from 1.55% to 2.54%. Those identifying with two or more races grew modestly from 1.12% to 1.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.22% | 84.22% | -4.53% |
| Black | 8.37% | 10.09% | 20.55% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.54% | 63.87% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1.36% | 21.43% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.37% | 0.93% | 151.35% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.87% | 135.14% |