Brown County was organized in 1855, the original spelling of the county was "Browne" the county was named after Albert G. Browne, of Mississippi, who had been Senator and member of the House of Representatives from that state, was United States Senator at the date of the Act organizing Kansas Territory, was relected for six years in 1859, but withdrew with Jefferson Davis on the secession of the Southern states. The name is properly spelled with an e in the original statute, but on the county seal the e was left off--accidently, probably. All later statues present the name without the final e.
Hiawatha is the county seat of Brown County.