Brown (the name, not the color) Tartan

[kmaclea]

Anyone know which tartans are most commonly worn by those of the name Brown or Broun? I see mention of at least 3 tartans online, but I'm curious which are the most popular?

Kyle=

[gilmore]

It may very well not be Scots.

Surname profiler here http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/Surnames.aspx shows Brown as occurring in England about as much as in Scotland, and Broun in northern England and Wales as well as Scotland.

The best thing is to trace one's genealogy backward in time, documenting one generation at a time. Or you might get lucky with Y DDNA. See the FAQ at www.ftdna.com.

[SteveB]

To throw an even bigger monkey wrench into the tartan thing. I am a Brown(e), and am a descendant of the sept of Clan Lamont, with many tartans to choose from. Like about ten percent of the Irish, I also descend from MacNeil of Barra. May the kilt kollection grow.
I do not own a "Brown" tartan kilt...(yet)? As gilmore said if it is the genealogy you are after, it is one step at a time. If it is the tartan, that is a good question, as I do not know how many of us X-Markers are Browns. My family was in Scotland, Ireland, then England, then to the U.S.A. in 1637. The record chasing was fun.
Steve Brown

[macwilkin]

Please post all tartan-related questions in the heraldry & tartans section.

Thanks!

Todd

[kmaclea]

Please post all tartan-related questions in the heraldry & tartans section.

FYI, I had a hard time finding it (and did look, but failed, since it's not on the top list). Sorry about that!

Kyle=

[kmaclea]

As for the other bits, thanks all for their replies!

As was noted, I do know my Browns are Scottish. They may not have been forever, but they were at least for a time. I appreciate the genealogical warnings and all, it's definitely worth the warning for the not so wary. I have been doing genealogy for several years, so I have a good idea of these. Still, it is good to be cautious.

That being said, the Brown line in my family, alas, I have not researched very far. My ancestor James Brown MacLea who came from Scotland was named after his grandfather James Brown. I don't know much about James yet, other than that he is listed as a Porter on his children's birth records, and later as a Session Clerk. His origins are somewhat mysterious (I do have a town noted somewhere, but am not at home and will have to look it up). I suspect with such a name I will never really know his origins for sure.
Anyway, he lived in Glasgow with his wife and children later, and there his daughter met my James Brown MacLea's father, Peter McLea, his own father likely from the Western Isles of Scotland, the Isle of Bute in particular.

The best I can probably hope for is to have an idea of where my Browns come from and their likely associations. I'm not looking for iron-clad, but something slightly better than "I picked this tartan from a hat."

I already have my Livingston (MacLea) tartan.

I just want to expand my collection, and thought I would look at other and collateral branches for those ideas!

I will post on James Brown's hometown when I get home.

Also, thanks Fedgunner for the most prevalent Brown tartan info, and the very nice picture to see the detail. Would appreciate a tartan ID number on that, or some links to where it can be bought! Thanks!

Allow me to thank you all again, and look forward to more discussions in the future!

Kyle=

[gilmore]

...The best I can probably hope for is to have an idea of where my Browns come from and their likely associations. I'm not looking for iron-clad, but something slightly better than "I picked this tartan from a hat."

I already have my Livingston (MacLea) tartan.

I just want to expand my collection, and thought I would look at other and collateral branches for those ideas!

I will post on James Brown's hometown when I get home....

If you want to wait to spend several hundred dollars on a Brown tartan kilt until you know with more certainty which Brown tartan would be more appropriate, yet want another kilt in a related tartan now, you might take a look at the possibility of district tartans from the town, county or other location where your James Brown hailed from.

(Come to think of it, wasn't it North Augusta, South Carolina? I feel good...)

[Fedgunner]

<snip>
Also, thanks Fedgunner for the most prevalent Brown tartan info, and the very nice picture to see the detail. Would appreciate a tartan ID number on that, or some links to where it can be bought! Thanks!

Allow me to thank you all again, and look forward to more discussions in the future!

Kyle=

Name of Tartan: Brown
Alternative name:
ITI number: 432 Date: pre 1905
Category: Clan/Family
Designer / Source: Scott Adie Catalogue

My tartan was obtained by Kathy Lare from The House of Edgar

[BoldHighlander]

As gilmore said if it is the genealogy you are after, it is one step at a time. If it is the tartan, that is a good question, as I do not know how many of us X-Markers are Browns. My family was in Scotland, Ireland, then England, then to the U.S.A. in 1637. The record chasing was fun.
Steve Brown

Good question Steve. I have a pair of Browns in my family tree occuring here in the States (connecting the McReynolds line with my Scobee line). The furthest mine has been researched is my ancestor Daniel "Dance" Brown born 1776/1777 in Virginia. As to rather his people were Irish, Scottish, or English is anybody's guess

[Cawdorian]

Brown's are hard to trace, there are so many of them, on the census forms you will find many James's, William's etc. My grandmother was a Brown, family oral tradition says they came from Scotland, I can get my Brown's back to 1783 in Pennsyvania, that is as far as I can get.

My Lamont heritage comes through the Patrick sept, not the Brown's. In order to determine the clan your Brown's came from, you would have to trace the family lines back to the clan or adjacent lands in Scotland. The Lamont's and the McMillan's both claim the Scottish Brown's. I don't believe there is or was a Brown or Broun clan.

The Brown tartan was commisioned by Queen Victoria for her friend Major John Brown.