Holding steady.
Popularity of Brownie since 1892
Babies named Brownie per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1923, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Brownie's real moment was 1904.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 21 | 0 |
| 1900s | 49 | 15 |
| 1910s | 191 | 116 |
| 1920s | 253 | 148 |
| 1930s | 133 | 114 |
| 1940s | 55 | 77 |
| 1950s | 19 | 34 |
| 1960s | 6 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Brownie is a rare given name in the United States, first recorded in Social Security data in 1892. Its highest recorded usage was in 1904, reflecting a peak in the early 1900s when whimsical nickname names were fashionable. Despite never entering the top 1000, the name has maintained a stable but minimal presence through 2025. Brownie is unisex, though historically more common for boys. The name's appeal likely stems from its connection to the friendly household spirits of Scottish folklore, popularized by Palmer Cox's illustrated stories, as well as the beloved chocolate treat named after those same creatures. The name has not shown signs of a revival, remaining a true rarity in contemporary usage.
Brownie is a diminutive of the color brown, used as a nickname or term of endearment. It gained modest use as a given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, likely influenced by the popular children's book 'The Brownies' by Palmer Cox (1883), which depicted mischievous little elves. The name also evokes the chocolate dessert, a connection that became stronger after the brownie's invention in the late 1800s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Browny
Sibling names for Brownie
Names that share Brownie's style, for a brother or sister.
