Surname: Brown

This surname post will be different to my post on the surname HAVENITH due to BROWN having a much shorter history within my family. The information within the post will be fairly general (due to lack of professional research into the surname) and will focus more on the personal history of the surname in my family.

Origin
The origin of the surname BROWN and its variants is not known. This is due to this being a nickname surname.

Within my family, my grandfather Ernest BROWN is said to have chosen the name. He was part of a traveller family and the story goes that he changed his surname to avoid conscription into the army. Unfortunately, he died when my father and his siblings were children, therefore very little is known. We don't know why is chose BROWN as his replacement surname, but we do know that he settled down for a number of years with my grandmother and had 6 children. His occupation changed over the years, but he was best known as a rag and bone man. His original name was Ernest HARWOOD.

Distribution
This is a wildly common surname and is found throughout Britain and is noted as being the sixth most common surname at the time Graeme Davis published Research your Surname in 2010.

Meaning
This surname is considered to be a nickname surname referring to things such as hair colour or hair colour, or sometimes even the colour of someone's clothes. These ideas - especially relating to hair colour - seem unrealistic, however without further investigation by experts, we are likely to remain with this answer.

Another idea is that it could possibly be a patronymic of the first name 'Brun' or relating to a place name that has brown in the name.

There may well be possible origins for this surname. The further back you can trace this surname in your own family history; the closer you'll be to an answer (hopefully).

Variation
There is no variation of this surname within my family as I was part of the third generation to have the surname.

Conclusion
My interest in the surname BROWN, it's fair to say, is quite superficial. This is due to the surname having such a short history within my family. At the moment, I know as much as I can know about why this surname is in my family. I think that there may still be some people that knew my grandfather, but they are travellers and unfortunately I'm unlikely to ever meet then and find out more about my grandfather's history. 

Sources
Graeme Davis, 2010. Research Your Surname and Your Family Tree: Find Out What Your Surname Means and Trace Your Ancestors Who Share It Too. Edition. How to Books.