A Scottish and English surname, Brownlee comes from the Old English terms of ‘brun’ and ‘leah’ which refer to a brown woodland clearing. Spelling variations for Brownlee include Brownlees, Broanlie, Brounlie, Brownele, Brunly, Brunlees, Brownlow, Brunlee and Brownlea. In northern England is the greater concentration of Brownlee families. Most live in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, Durham and Cumberland counties. In Scotland many Brownlee families live in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Fife, West Lothian and Midlothian counties. In the United States Brownlee families live mostly in South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. Famous: Edward Malcolm Brownlee (acclaimed sculptor from America), John Brownlee (opera singer from Australia), Frank Brownlee (movie film actor), Alistair Brownlee (a winning triathlete from England), Robert Brownlee (an astronomer for whom the Robert Brownlee observatory in California was named) and Thomas M. Brownlee (founder of the Brownlee Lighting and Manufacturing Company).