The spelling of the name "Hob Broun" can be a little tricky when it comes to pronunciation. The correct IPA phonetic transcription of the name is /hɑb braʊn/. The "o" in "Hob" is pronounced as "ah" as in "father", while the "ou" in "Broun" is pronounced as "ow" as in "down". This famous surname has been borne by several notable people, including the American writer Heywood Hale Broun and the British artist Edward Bawden, who used it as a cryptonym.
The name "Hob Broun" does not have a specific etymology as it appears to be a combination of two separate words or names. "Hob" is often used as a diminutive form of "Robert" while "Broun" could potentially be a variant spelling of the more common surname "Brown". However, without any further context or information, it is difficult to provide a more precise etymology for this specific combination of words/names.