Bruce
A Norman place name, probably Brix, carried into Scotland as a surname by Robert the Bruce’s family.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Bruce appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1932 to 1970. Its biggest year was 1956, when 14,660 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 33 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1952, at No. 25. In 2025 it ranked No. 536 for boys. All told, 388,275 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Robert
Explore Bruce interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 499 | No. 193 |
| 1890s | 618 | No. 200 |
| 1900s | 836 | No. 185 |
| 1910s | 5,577 | No. 146 |
| 1920s | 13,179 | No. 112 |
| 1930s | 24,119 | No. 64 |
| 1940s | 72,097 | No. 26 |
| 1950s | 136,457 | No. 25 |
| 1960s | 74,642 | No. 39 |
| 1970s | 21,127 | No. 94 |
| 1980s | 14,333 | No. 157 |
| 1990s | 7,900 | No. 239 |
| 2000s | 5,536 | No. 424 |
| 2010s | 6,638 | No. 401 |
| 2020s | 3,322 | No. 498 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.