Boy name · French
Bruce
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: probably from Brix in NormandyBruce is a boy's name that comes from French and means "probably from Brix in Normandy". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Probably from Brix in Normandy
- Origin
- French
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #536 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Bruce
As a boy's name, Bruce comes from French and means "probably from Brix in Normandy". It is used in English and Scottish.
Bruce is also a surname: the 652nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 50,879 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Bruce on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Bruce on 4 lists.
“Batman's real first name, for a bat with a secret”
From Bat names, funny bat names
“After Robert I, the king of Scots who won at Bannockburn”
From Highland cattle names, scottish bull names for boys
“From a Norman family, probably of Brix; Scotland's hero king.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish clan and surname names for boys
“Norman de Brus, from Brix in Normandy; Robert's family”
From Scottish last names, norse and Norman Scottish surnames
How popular is Bruce?
- US rank in 2025
- #536
- 558 babies, 327 per million boys
- Best rank
- #25 in 1952
- Most babies: 14,660 in 1956
- Babies since 1880
- At least 386,880
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 456 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 542 per million |
| 1900s | 616 per million |
| 1910s | 835 per million |
| 1920s | 1,196 per million |
| 1930s | 2,283 per million |
| 1940s | 4,843 per million |
| 1950s | 6,750 per million |
| 1960s | 3,875 per million |
| 1970s | 1,279 per million |
| 1980s | 776 per million |
| 1990s | 406 per million |
| 2000s | 277 per million |
| 2010s | 353 per million |
| 2020s | 321 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #441 | #429 | #473 | #471 | #498 | #535 | #563 | #542 | #536 | #536 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Bruce
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- BaruchBlessed (Hebrew, boy)
- BrockBadger (Old English, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- LeahProbably weary, grieved (Hebrew, girl)
- LukaForm of Lucas, probably from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PenelopeProbably from a Greek word for a type of duck (Greek, girl)
- AlainaVariant of Alana, probably influenced by Elaine (Breton, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- ArabellaProbably a variant of Annabel; linked with Latin yielding to prayer (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Bruce
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from French
Bruce: common questions
What does the name Bruce mean?
Bruce comes from French and means "probably from Brix in Normandy".
Is Bruce a boy or girl name?
Bruce is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Bruce come from?
Bruce comes from French and means "probably from Brix in Normandy". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Bruce?
Bruce ranked #536 in the US in 2025, with 558 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Bruce?
Names spelled like Bruce include Baruch and Brock.
What middle names go with Bruce?
Middle names that flow well with Bruce include Augustus, Forest, Glenn, Grayson and Matthew. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.