The first name Bruce
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /bɹuːs/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From a Norman place name, Brix, of disputed meaning.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 37 boys were named Bruce, making it the 856th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 81 births (#501).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bruce with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Bruce at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 558 boys born in the United States were named Bruce, the 536th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 14,660 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Bruce in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Bruce
- Brucie
- Brucey
Famous people named Bruce
242 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Bruce SpringsteenAmerican rock singer (born 1949)
- Bruce DickinsonEnglish heavy metal singer (born 1958)
- Bruce BeutlerAmerican immunologist and geneticist, born 1957
- Robert Bruce MerrifieldAmerican biochemist, 1921–2006
- Bruce CampbellAmerican actor, born 1958
- Bruce DernAmerican actor, born 1936
- Bruce McCandless IIAmerican astronaut (1937–2017)
- Bruce DavisonAmerican actor, born 1946
- Bruce SterlingAmerican author, speaker and futurist (born 1954)
- Bruce GreenwoodCanadian actor and musician, born 1956
- Bruce ChatwinEnglish novelist (1940–1989)
- J. Bruce IsmayChairman of White Star shipping line (1862–1937)
Questions
- What does the name Bruce mean?
- From a Norman place name, Brix, of disputed meaning.
- How popular is the name Bruce?
- In 2025, 37 boys born in England and Wales were named Bruce, ranking 856th. Its peak was 2016, with 81 births.
- What are nicknames for Bruce?
- Common nicknames for Bruce include Brucie, Brucey.
- Is Bruce a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 388,275 US babies named Bruce since 1880 were boys.
- When was Bruce most popular?
- 1956 in the United States, when 14,660 babies were named Bruce, its highest rank at 33rd.
- How do you pronounce Bruce?
- Bruce is /bɹuːs/, one syllable.
- Is Bruce also a surname?
- Yes. Bruce is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.