Brownlee Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Brownlee last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Brownlee last name
Meaning of the Brownlee last name: brown meadow. Brownlee is a Scottish surname from the lands of Brownlee in Lanarkshire, from Scots broun, "brown", and lee, "meadow" or "clearing". It is found in Scotland and Ulster. As a last name it spread to Canada, where John Brownlee served as premier of Alberta from 1925 to 1934.
Arms associated with the Brownlee name
Coats of arms associated with the Brownlee surname follow Scottish heraldry, where each blazon belongs to one bearer.
Get your full Brownlee family history
This is only a glimpse of the Brownlee story. The full Brownlee history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Brownlee coat of arms. Get the full Brownlee report.
Brownlee name FAQ
What does the Brownlee name mean?
Brown meadow. Common variants include Brownlie, Brownley.
Where does the Brownlee surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Brownlee coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Brownlee coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).