Brownie
Brownie is a given name or a hypocorism often used in reference to the brownie of Scottish folklore. The name came into use in the 1890s when poems and drawings about the mythical beings were published by Palmer Cox in the children's magazine St. Nicholas. Broonie is a variant. It was also a term for the Brownies, referring to Girl Scouts who are aged seven to ten.
Meaning & Origin of Brownie
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Brownie is a given name or a hypocorism often used in reference to the brownie of Scottish folklore. The name came into use in the 1890s when poems and drawings about the mythical beings were published by Palmer Cox in the children's magazine St. Nicholas. Broonie is a variant. It was also a term for the Brownies, referring to Girl Scouts who are aged seven to ten.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Brownie
As a girl name
Brownie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1892, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1923, when 33 Brownies were born — ranking #1,388 that year. As of 2026, Brownie ranks #5,860 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 727 Brownies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Brownie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1904, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 22 Brownies were born — ranking #1,642 that year. As of 2026, Brownie ranks #3,289 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 504 Brownies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Brownie
Phonetically similar names — useful when Brownie is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Browny
- Brawny
- Barany
- Brainy
- Briny
- Brony
- Briney
- Bruni
- Branny
- Bahraini
- Brinny
- Bruney
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Brownie
What does the name Brownie mean?
How popular is Brownie in 2026?
When was Brownie most popular?
In which U.S. states is Brownie most popular?
Is Brownie a unisex name?
What names go well with Brownie?
About the name Brownie
Brownie is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1892 and has accumulated 727 births in the dataset. Brownie's peak popularity came in 1923 when it ranked #1,388. Use the chart and map above to compare Brownie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1923 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.