Bronislaus
A masculine Polish name of Slavic origin meaning "defender" or "protector".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Bronislaus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bronislaus today is around 100 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bronislaus births was 1920 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bronislaus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bronislaus is about 100 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bronislaus' were born before 1936.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bronislaus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1920
32 babies that year
Average age
100
years old
1933 SSA rank
#3,318
Tracked since 1910
Popularity
Bronislaus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bronislaus from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 163 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bronislaus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bronislaus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bronislaus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts recorded the most babies named Bronislaus, while Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 40 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bronislaus
Bronislaus is a masculine given name of Polish origin, derived from the Slavic elements "bron" meaning "protection" or "defense" and "slava" meaning "glory" or "fame." Its earliest recorded use dates back to the Middle Ages, with variations including Bronislaw, Bronislav, and Bronislao.
The name gained prominence in the early medieval period, particularly among the ruling dynasties of Poland and neighboring Slavic regions. One of the earliest known references is to Bronislaw, the Duke of Poland, who ruled in the early 11th century.
In the 13th century, Bronislaw of Masovia, a Polish prince and military commander, played a significant role in defending his lands against the Teutonic Knights. His brave exploits contributed to the enduring popularity of the name among Polish nobility.
Another notable figure was Bronislaw Komorowski (1889-1940), a Polish general and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile during World War II. He was executed by the Soviets in the Katyn Massacre.
In the realm of religion, Bronislaw Markiewicz (1842-1912) was a Polish priest who founded the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel, a religious order dedicated to education and social work.
Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942), an anthropologist and ethnographer, is renowned for his contributions to the field of social anthropology and his groundbreaking work on the Trobriand Islands.
Throughout history, the name Bronislaus has been associated with strength, valor, and a sense of protectiveness, reflecting its linguistic roots. While it has retained its popularity in Poland and other Slavic regions, it has also been adopted in various cultures around the world, often with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation.
People
Bronislaus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bronislaus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bronislaus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bronislaus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bronislaus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Bronislaus a common name?
We classify Bronislaus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 343 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bronislaus most popular?
The single biggest year for Bronislaus was 1920, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bronislaus is about 100 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bronislaus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bronislaus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.