Bruce

“Possibly 'the willowlands', from the Norman place name Brix” — Norman French origin

Boy's name · #536 in the US (2025) · Heirloom

Bruce belongs to an older America first — it reached #25 back in 1952 — yet it still appears in today's records at #536. About 387,000 boys have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Around the world: about 1 in 2,000 boys in Scotland (2025) · about 1 in 2,400 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 2,800 boys in N. Ireland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 36 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Bruces

Bruce Lee — Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)
Bruce Willis — American actor (born 1955)
Bruce Springsteen — American rock singer (born 1949)
Bruce Dickinson — English heavy metal singer (born 1958)
Bruce Beutler — American immunologist and geneticist

In stories & tradition

Bruce (Batman) — Detective Comics · Batman
Bruce (Hulk) — Incredible Hulk · Avengers
Bruce (Jesse Pinkman) — Breaking Bad · El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

What Bruces become

Among 3,306 notable people named Bruce:

Sports figures appear 1.42× more often than among typical names — e.g. Bruce Lee, Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973).

Similar names: Roger · Bruno · Lance · Terry · Mike · Lawrence

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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