Bruna
A feminine name derived from Latin meaning "dark-complexioned beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 551 living Americans carry the first name Bruna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bruna today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bruna births was 1920 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bruna. 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.
People living today
551
~ 1 in 622,059 Americans
Peak year
1920
34 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,635
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Bruna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bruna from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 217 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Bruna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bruna 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 Bruna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Brunas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Massachusetts, Florida recorded the most babies named Bruna, while Pennsylvania, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bruna
The name Bruna has its roots in the Latin language, originating from the word "bruna," which means "brown" or "dark-haired." This name likely gained popularity during the Roman Empire, when Latin was widely spoken across Europe and the Mediterranean region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bruna can be found in the 9th century, when a Benedictine nun named Bruna of Saxony lived in the Monastery of Gandersheim in present-day Germany. She was known for her religious devotion and her contributions to the monastery's library.
Another notable figure named Bruna was Bruna Gaschi, an Italian painter who lived in the 15th century. She was born in Siena, Italy, and is celebrated for her religious artworks, including frescoes in the Church of San Domenico in her hometown.
In the 16th century, Bruna Parracchi was an Italian poet and author from Pisa. She was part of the literary circle known as the Accademia degli Intronati and wrote several works, including sonnets and madrigals.
During the 17th century, Bruna Casia was a renowned Italian painter from Bologna. She is known for her religious paintings and portraits, and her works can be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
In the 18th century, Bruna Pellegrini was an Italian opera singer and composer. She was born in Venice and performed in several operas throughout Europe, gaining recognition for her vocal talents and compositions.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals named Bruna throughout history, but the name has been used across various cultures and regions, reflecting its enduring popularity and rich heritage.
People
Bruna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bruna 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
Bruna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bruna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 551 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bruna 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 622,059 US residents.
Is Bruna a common name?
We classify Bruna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,047 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bruna most popular?
The single biggest year for Bruna was 1920, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bruna is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bruna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bruna in the SSA data are female. 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.