2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bruene
A habitational surname derived from a place name, potentially related to a stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Bruene. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bruene surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Bruene in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruene, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bruene
The surname BRUENE has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire during that time period. The name is derived from the Old German word "brunen," which means "a spring of water."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BRUENE appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the year 1348. This record mentions a person named "Henricus Bruene," who was likely from a village near a natural spring or well.
In the 15th century, the name BRUENE can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce in the region. These records include references to several individuals with the surname, such as "Hans Bruene" (born circa 1435) and "Kunigunde Bruene" (born circa 1460).
The name BRUENE is also associated with certain place names in Germany, such as the village of Brünen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This village was likely named after a local spring or well, and it is possible that some individuals adopted the surname BRUENE after migrating from this area.
One notable figure in history who bore the surname BRUENE was Johann Bruene (1492-1542), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He worked closely with the renowned astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus and was instrumental in the development of the heliocentric model of the solar system.
Another prominent individual with the surname BRUENE was Matthias Bruene (1573-1631), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. He was a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several influential works on theology and ethics.
During the 17th century, the BRUENE surname spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. One notable example is Pieter Bruene (1618-1679), a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in landscapes and seascapes. His works can be found in numerous art museums across Europe.
In the late 18th century, a branch of the BRUENE family settled in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Johann Bruene (1745-1823), who emigrated from Germany and settled in Pennsylvania. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of the country, contributing to the diversity of the BRUENE surname in America.
Throughout history, the surname BRUENE has been associated with various occupations and professions, from farmers and artisans to scholars and artists. While the name may have evolved over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation, its connection to the natural world and the concept of a spring or well remains a fascinating aspect of its etymology.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bruene
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruene, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bruene bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bruene surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.0% · 99
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bruene
Bruene appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,192 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-6 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 2,192 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 2,642 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bruene surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #152,628 | #155,270 | -1.7% |
| Count | 107 | 101 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bruene bearers went from 107 to 101 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 2,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #155,270.
FAQ
Bruene surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bruene?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Bruene. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Bruene?
Bruene ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Bruene. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bruene.
Has Bruene become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bruene went from 107 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #152,628 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bruene?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruene, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bruene in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bruene appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.0%), Two or More Races (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bruene (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bruene mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name, potentially related to a stream or brook. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bruene (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Bruene?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bruene? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.