Bruce

Did you know?

A few things about Bruce you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Bruce

Bruce Lee

Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)

Choose Bruce and your child shares a first name with Bruce Lee, a Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bruce, like who?” Bruce Lee's Wikipedia article is available in 166 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Bruce Lee on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: National General Pictures, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 3,061 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Bruce, 558 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bruce would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryBruce has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Bruces, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1952, when it ranked #25. Today it's #536, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendBruce has slipped 38 places over the last five years and now sits at #536. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedBruce is most popular in Idaho, where it ranks #302, followed by Colorado (#329) and Utah (#378). It's in the top 1,000 in 30 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Norman French, Bruce means “from Brix, Normandy”. Our records link it to English and French roots.

About the name Bruce

Bruce is a boy name of English and French origin meaning “from Brix, Normandy”. It has 5 letters and 1 syllable, starting with B and ending in “-uce”. US birth records list Bruce for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked #25 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #536, with 558 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench names