2000
#10,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,711
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Brune
A surname of French origin referring to a person with brown hair or a dark complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,024 Americans carry the last name Brune. That puts it at #11,426 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,345 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brune 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
3.0K
1 in 113,345
Census rank
#11,426
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,637 bearers of the surname Brune in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11426th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brune, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brune
The surname Brune originated in France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "brun," meaning "brown" or "dark-haired." This name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a dark complexion or dark hair.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or place names. The name Brune likely arose as a descriptive surname, distinguishing individuals within a community by their appearance.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Brune can be found in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres," a medieval cartulary from the Abbey of Saint-Père in Chartres, France. This document, dated around 1150, mentions a person named "Robertus Brunus" (Robert the Brown).
In the 13th century, the name Brune appeared in various records across different regions of France. For instance, a charter from the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, dated 1259, mentions a "Guillelmus dictus Brune" (William called Brune).
One notable individual with the surname Brune was Walter Brune (c. 1350-1420), a French theologian and philosopher who served as the chancellor of the University of Paris. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and contributed to the discussions on the concept of free will.
Another historical figure bearing the name Brune was Antoine Brune (1599-1654), a French mathematician and astronomer. He is renowned for his work on celestial mechanics and his contributions to the development of the theory of elliptical orbits.
In England, the surname Brune can be traced back to the 13th century, likely brought over by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest in 1066. One early example is William Brune, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1206.
During the 16th century, the surname Brune was associated with several notable individuals, including Guillaume Brune (1515-1567), a French Protestant reformer and theologian who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in France.
Another prominent figure was Étienne Brune (1592-1654), a French lawyer and author who served as the royal prosecutor in Paris. He is best known for his work "Le Palais de l'Honneur," which discussed the concept of honor and its importance in society.
While the surname Brune has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. Over the centuries, it has been borne by individuals from various backgrounds, contributing to the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brune
Among Census respondents with the surname Brune, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Brune 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 Brune surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 2,368
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 124
- Two or more races3.5% · 91
- Black or African American1.3% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brune
Brune 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
#11,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,872
+161 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 261 places
2020
#11,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,637
-235 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 364 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,801 | 2,711 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,062 | 2,872 | 0.97 | +161 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 261 places |
| 2020 | #11,426 | 2,637 | 0.88 | -235 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 364 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 Brune 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 | #11,062 | #11,426 | -3.3% |
| Count | 2,872 | 2,637 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.88 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brune bearers went from 2,872 to 2,637 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 364 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,062 to #11,426.
FAQ
Brune surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brune?
Name Census estimates that about 3,024 living Americans carry the surname Brune. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,345 residents.
How common is Brune?
Brune ranks #11,426 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,637 people with the surname Brune. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,024), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Brune.
Has Brune become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brune went from 2,872 recorded bearers to 2,637. That is a decrease of 235 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,062 to #11,426.
What does the Census say about the background of Brune?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brune, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Brune in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (2,368 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brune appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Brune (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 Brune mean?
A surname of French origin referring to a person with brown hair or a dark complexion. 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 Brune (0.88 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 have the surname Brune?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.