2000
#2,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,404
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.71
Uncommon Last name
Bruner
An occupational surname for someone who distilled liquor or operated a still.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,169 Americans carry the last name Bruner. That puts it at #2,379 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,964 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bruner 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
17K
1 in 19,964
Census rank
#2,379
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,972 bearers of the surname Bruner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2379th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bruner
The surname Bruner has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "brunner," which means "one who lives near a spring or well." The name was commonly found in various regions of modern-day Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Bruner surname can be traced back to a document from the 13th century, where a certain "Heinrich Brunner" is listed as a resident of a village near Nuremberg. The name also appears in various historical records, such as municipal archives and church registers, throughout the following centuries.
In the late 15th century, a noteworthy figure named Johannes Bruner was a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Heidelberg. He was born in 1452 and died in 1512, leaving behind several works on theology and philosophy.
Another notable individual with this surname was Hans Bruner, a German artist and engraver who lived in the 16th century. Born in Augsburg in 1515, he was known for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological scenes.
During the 17th century, the Bruner surname gained prominence in the region of Franconia, with several families establishing themselves as landowners and merchants. One such individual was Georg Bruner, a wealthy merchant from Bamberg, who lived from 1621 to 1689.
In the late 18th century, a certain Johann Bruner gained recognition as a composer and musician in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. He was born in 1742 and is credited with composing several operas and orchestral works that were performed throughout the German states.
As the Bruner surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the British Isles and the Americas. However, the earliest recorded instances of the name primarily stem from its German roots and the various individuals who bore this surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bruner
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bruner 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 Bruner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 12,209
- Black or African American7.9% · 1,187
- Two or more races5.2% · 786
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 461
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 247
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 82
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bruner
Bruner 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
#2,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,898
+494 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 5.39
Rank movement Down 129 places
2020
#2,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,972
-926 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 5.01
Rank movement Down 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,163 | 15,404 | 5.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,292 | 15,898 | 5.39 | +494 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 129 places |
| 2020 | #2,379 | 14,972 | 5.01 | -926 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 87 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 Bruner 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 | #2,292 | #2,379 | -3.8% |
| Count | 15,898 | 14,972 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.39 | 5.01 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bruner bearers went from 15,898 to 14,972 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,292 to #2,379.
FAQ
Bruner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bruner?
Name Census estimates that about 17,169 living Americans carry the surname Bruner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,964 residents.
How common is Bruner?
Bruner ranks #2,379 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,972 people with the surname Bruner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Bruner.
Has Bruner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bruner went from 15,898 recorded bearers to 14,972. That is a decrease of 926 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,292 to #2,379.
What does the Census say about the background of Bruner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Bruner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (12,209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bruner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Bruner (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 Bruner mean?
An occupational surname for someone who distilled liquor or operated a still. 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 Bruner (5.01 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 Americans have the surname Bruner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.