The more usual form of the surname Broun is Brown.[1] It is an extremely common name and is usually a reference to colouring.[1] The historian, Black, asserts that Browns of Celtic origin might have been named after their descent from native judges, who were known as brehons.[1]
The Scottish Lowland name of Brown achieved prominence in the early twelfth century in East Lothian.[1] Sir David Le Brun was a witness to the laying of the foundation of Holyrood Abbey in 1128.[1] He had given lands to the abbey in return for prayers said for the health of his son.[1]
The chiefly family, the Brouns of Colstoun enjoyed considerable royal favour, which may have been because of their claimed descent from the royal house of France.[1] The chief's arms even bear the three gold lilies of France.[1] The family married into other noble families such as that of the chiefs of Clan Hay.[1]
^ abcThe General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time; By Bernard Burke; Published by Harrison & sons, 1864; p. 131 Link to Book
^"Brown of Castledean". The Scottish Register of Tartans. National Records of Scotland. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
