The Old English term breowan means ‘to brew.’ So this is an occupational name for a brewer of beer or ale. The Middle English term was spelled "Brewere."

In The Netherlands the surname is ‘Brouwer’ and in Germany it is ‘Brauer’ or ‘Breuer.’

The majority of Brewer families were farmers in the 1880s.

In the United States most Brewer families live in eastern half of the United States, as well as Texas and California. Within England, many live in the far southwestern peninsula of England and in London area. In Scotland a large population of Brewer families live around Glasgow, Lanarkshire county.

Famous: Janice K. Brewer (Governor of Arizona), David J. Brewer (U. S. Supreme Court Justice from 1889 to 1910), Teresa Brewer (pop singer), Gay Brewer (professional champion golfer), Lucy Brewer (disguised herself as a man to serve on a U. S. ship during the War of 1812), Rev. E. Cobham Brewer (author of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable), Craig Brewer (film director) and George Keefer Brewer (stage name ‘George Reeves’ and played TV’s Superman in 1950s).