The name has evolved through a variety of historical spellings as follows: Brunwenely c.1200, 1239; Brown Wenely 1239; Brenwenelyn 1276; Bronwenely, Brunwely 1280; Brounwenely 1350, 1362; Broun Welyn 1386; Brounwenyly 1401; Brownwenelegh 1450, 1470; Brounwellye, Bronwelly 1576; Brown-wellye 1584; Brounwellie 1639; Menar Brownuello 1754.

[7] In 2012 a campaign was launched to have the hill's name restored to the original Bronn Wennili on the grounds that it would be "slightly more attractive to residents and tourists than Brown Willy".

[9] The summit of Brown Willy is 1,378 feet (420 metres) above sea level, the highest point on Bodmin Moor and in the county of Cornwall.

[16] The Cornish word for "cairn" is karn (from karnow, meaning "rock piles"), and it has been suggested that Cornwall's ancient name Kernow is related.

[19] Brown Willy Summit Cairn has never been excavated and folklore suggests an ancient Cornish king may lie entombed underneath.

Many rocks from similar cairns have been spoiled and removed over centuries of neglect to be re-used in dry stone walling and other local construction.

[21] Rodney Castleden has suggested that from the centre of Stannon stone circle, the autumn equinox sun rises over Brown Willy North Cairn.

[27] The hill is known for a meteorological phenomenon known as the Brown Willy effect, in which heavy rainfall develops over high ground and then travels downwind for a long distance.

In another case when the effect was manifested, a continuous line of showers developed on 27 March 2006 stretching 145 miles (233 kilometres) from Brown Willy to Oxfordshire.

[30] Nearly two-thirds of them were constructed in positions with a clear line of sight to the summit of Brown Willy and the nearby hill of Rough Tor, suggesting that the hilltops were viewed as special places.