Find out how popular the last name Brunelle is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brunelle.

Brunelle, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Brunelle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brunelle in America

Brunelle is the 7133rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brunelle surname appeared 4,688 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Brunelle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brunelle to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Brunelle

The surname Brunelle originated in France, specifically from the region of Normandy. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "brun," meaning "brown" or "dark-colored." The name likely referred to someone with dark hair or a dark complexion.

One of the earliest records of the name Brunelle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest. The spelling variations in the Domesday Book include Brunel and Brunell.

In the 12th century, the name Brunelle appeared in various historical documents in Normandy. One notable individual was Raoul Brunelle, a Norman knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under King Richard I of England.

During the Middle Ages, the Brunelle family held land and property in various parts of Normandy. The name was often associated with specific places, such as Bruneville, a small village in the Manche department of Normandy.

In the 16th century, a prominent member of the Brunelle family was Jean Brunelle (1498-1562), a French mathematician and astronomer. He was known for his contributions to the study of comets and his work on improving the accuracy of astronomical calculations.

Another notable figure was Antoine Brunelle (1599-1661), a French architect and sculptor who worked on several important projects, including the construction of the Château de Versailles during the reign of King Louis XIV.

In the 19th century, Félicité Brunelle (1815-1892) was a renowned French educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for girls and women.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Brunelle in North America was in Quebec, Canada, where the family settled in the 17th century. Pierre Brunelle (1634-1702) was among the first immigrants to arrive in New France (now Quebec) from Normandy.

Throughout history, the Brunelle surname has been associated with various professions, including artisans, merchants, soldiers, and scholars. While the name originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brunelle

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brunelle.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brunelle was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Brunelle has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Brunelle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brunelle, please contact us.

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