Find out how popular the last name Brunelli is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Brunelli.
An Italian surname derived from the Italian adjective "bruno" meaning brown or dark-haired.
Brunelli, 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 Brunelli surname is from the 2010 census data.
Brunelli is the 45253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Brunelli surname appeared 473 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Brunelli.
We can also compare 2010 data for Brunelli 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 45253 | 32302 | 33.40% |
Count | 473 | 672 | -34.76% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.16 | 0.25 | -43.90% |
The surname Brunelli has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "bruno," which means "brown" or "dark-haired." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.
The earliest recorded instances of the Brunelli name can be found in various medieval documents and records from northern and central Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. The name was often spelled in various ways, such as Brunello, Brunella, and Brunelli, reflecting the regional variations in language and dialect.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Brunelli name was Brunellus de Aretio, a nobleman from Arezzo, Tuscany, who lived in the 12th century. His name is mentioned in a legal document from 1176, in which he is recorded as a witness to a land transaction.
In the 13th century, the Brunelli family rose to prominence in the city of Forlì, located in the Emilia-Romagna region. A notable figure from this era was Guido Brunelli, a wealthy merchant and banker who served as a financial advisor to the powerful Ordelaffi family, the rulers of Forlì.
During the Renaissance period, the Brunelli name was associated with several notable artists and intellectuals. One of the most renowned was Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446), the renowned Florentine architect and engineer best known for designing the iconic dome of the Florence Cathedral.
Another notable individual was Giovanni Battista Brunelli (1515-1572), a respected Italian historian and scholar from Mantua. He authored several works on the history and culture of northern Italy, including a chronicle of the city of Mantua.
In the 18th century, the Brunelli family gained prominence in the field of music. Antonio Brunelli (1700-1778) was a celebrated Italian composer and violinist who served as the court composer for the Duke of Modena.
Throughout history, the Brunelli surname has been carried by various individuals across different fields and regions of Italy, reflecting its widespread popularity and enduring legacy.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Brunelli.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Brunelli was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.56% | 452 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | 2.75% | 13 |
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 Brunelli has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 95.56% | 96.88% | -1.37% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | 0.74% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | 2.75% | 1.49% | 59.43% |
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 Brunelli was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Brunelli, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/brunelli-surname-popularity/">Brunelli last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Brunelli last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 2, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/brunelli-surname-popularity/.
"Brunelli last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/brunelli-surname-popularity/. Accessed 2 July, 2025
Brunelli last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/brunelli-surname-popularity/.
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