Graham Brown

(male) Transferred use of a Scottish surname, in origin a local name from Grantham in Lincolnshire. This is recorded in Domesday Book not only in its current form but also as Grandham, Granham, and Graham; it was apparently named as the ‘gravelly place’, from Old English grand ‘gravel’ + hām ‘homestead’. The surname was taken to Scotland in the 12th century by Sir William de Graham, founder of a famous clan. The earls of Montrose were among his descendants.

English, Scottish, and Irish: generally a nickname referring to the color of the hair or complexion, Middle English br(o)un, from Old English brūn or Old French brun. This word is occasionally found in Old English and Old Norse as a personal name or byname. Brun- was also a Germanic name-forming element. Some instances of Old English Brūn as a personal name may therefore be short forms of compound names such as Brūngar, Brūnwine, etc. As a Scottish and Irish name, it sometimes represents a translation of Gaelic Donn. As an American family name, it has absorbed numerous surnames from other languages with the same meaning.