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

Brunet, 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 Brunet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brunet in America

Brunet is the 10539th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brunet surname appeared 3,043 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brunet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brunet 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 Brunet

The surname BRUNET originated in France, derived from the Old French word "brunet" meaning "brown-haired" or "brown-skinned." It first appeared in the 12th century and was used as a descriptive nickname for individuals with a darker complexion or hair color.

The name is believed to have its roots in the Latin word "brunetus" or "burnetus," which also referred to a brownish hue. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various medieval records and documents from regions like Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France.

One of the earliest documented bearers of the name was Guillaume Brunet, a knight mentioned in a charter from the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, dated around 1180. Another early reference is found in the Cartulaire de Vendôme, a collection of charters from the Abbey of Vendôme, where a Petrus Brunetus is mentioned in 1205.

During the Middle Ages, the name BRUNET was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, including areas like Normandy and Picardy. It is also found in various place names, such as Brunet-la-Rivière and Brunet-le-Roy, suggesting the surname's long-standing presence in certain locations.

Notable individuals with the surname BRUNET throughout history include:

1. Guillaume BRUNET (c. 1450 - c. 1515), a French composer and theorist during the Renaissance era.
2. Nicolas BRUNET (1619 - 1678), a French Jesuit priest and missionary who traveled to Canada and worked among the Iroquois and Huron people.
3. Jacques-Charles BRUNET (1780 - 1867), a French bibliographer and author of the influential work "Manuel du Libraire et de l'Amateur de Livres."
4. Émile BRUNET (1842 - 1919), a French politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice and Public Instruction in the late 19th century.
5. Gustave BRUNET (1878 - 1948), a French artist and sculptor known for his work in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.

While the surname BRUNET is most commonly associated with France, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange over the centuries, including regions like Canada, the United States, and various French-speaking territories.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brunet

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

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 Brunet 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 Brunet 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 Brunet was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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