Bruce

Bruce - A very unique male name

Bruce appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #265. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Bruce and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Bruce? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Bruce. The baby boy name Bruce was given to 516 baby boys in 2025, ranking #545 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 2,842 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bruce peaked in popularity 74 years ago in 1952 on position 25.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Bruce, 1-5?

Bruce is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bruce is currently topping the baby name charts in Idaho at position #304 - and is the least popular in Wisconsin at position #799.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bruce is where you live.

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Bruce origin and meaning

Scottish — transferred surname

A transferred Scottish surname from a Norman place name (de Brus, of Brix in Normandy); the Norman place name's own meaning is not securely known

Bruce is the family name of Robert the Bruce, king of Scots, and became a first name first in Scotland and then everywhere. It was a top US name of the 1950s, peaking in 1956, and has declined ever since.

Origin uncertain

Bruce is a 5 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Bruce, pop culture references for the name Bruce and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Bruce

We've found the following names that sound similar to Bruce, sorted by popularity.

Bryce / Brooks / Brock / Brice / Briggs / Boris / Baruch / Boruch / Brook / Broc /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Bruce

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Bruce a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Bruce?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

BROOS · /bruːs/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Famous bearers

• Bruce Lee — Hong Kong-American martial-arts film star (1940–1973) Historical
• Bruce Springsteen — American rock singer-songwriter, 'the Boss' (b. 1949) Contemporary

Style

ClassicSurname

Why parents choose it

Strong, plain and heroic in a mid-century way — due a revival as other grandpa names return.

Worth knowing

• Two Bruces — Lee and Springsteen — plus Batman's Bruce Wayne set a high-bar set of associations; the name also reads dated to some.