2000
#3,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,876
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.03
Uncommon Last name
Bruns
A surname of German origin, derived from the personal name Bruno, meaning "brown" or "dark-skinned."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,562 Americans carry the last name Bruns. That puts it at #3,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,285 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bruns 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bruns with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,285
Census rank
#3,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,955 bearers of the surname Bruns in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruns, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bruns
The surname Bruns originated in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "brunn," which means "spring" or "well," and likely referred to someone who lived near a spring or well.
The name was first recorded in the town of Braunschweig, located in the northern part of Germany. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Brockhoff Monastery records of 1189, where a person named Johannes Bruns is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the name began to spread to other parts of Germany, and variations of the spelling emerged, such as Brunn, Brunnen, and Brunse. These variations were often used interchangeably and reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Bruns was Heinrich Bruns, a German composer and organist who lived from 1487 to 1546. He was renowned for his contributions to the development of the Lutheran chorale.
Another prominent individual with the Bruns surname was Johann Christian Bruns, a German lawyer and philosopher who lived from 1742 to 1827. He was a prominent figure in the field of natural law and is considered one of the founders of modern German jurisprudence.
In the 19th century, the Bruns surname became more widespread across Europe and North America as a result of immigration. One notable figure from this period was Victor David Bruns, a German-American engineer and inventor who lived from 1812 to 1883. He is credited with developing the first successful kerosene lamp and improving the process of refining kerosene.
Another significant individual with the Bruns surname was Paul Jakob Bruns, a German surgeon who lived from 1836 to 1916. He made significant contributions to the field of gynecology and obstetrics, and is particularly known for his work on ovarian tumors.
In the 20th century, the Bruns surname continued to be prominent in various fields. One notable figure was Ernst Heinrich Bruns, a German mathematician who lived from 1848 to 1919. He made significant contributions to the field of geometry and is particularly known for his work on algebraic surfaces.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bruns
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruns, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bruns 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 Bruns surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 10,173
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 301
- Two or more races2.1% · 231
- Black or African American1.4% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bruns
Bruns 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
#3,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,158
+282 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 3.78
Rank movement Down 178 places
2020
#3,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,955
-203 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 3.67
Rank movement Up 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,056 | 10,876 | 4.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,234 | 11,158 | 3.78 | +282 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 178 places |
| 2020 | #3,212 | 10,955 | 3.67 | -203 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 22 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 Bruns 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 | #3,234 | #3,212 | 0.7% |
| Count | 11,158 | 10,955 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.78 | 3.67 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bruns bearers went from 11,158 to 10,955 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,234 to #3,212.
FAQ
Bruns surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bruns?
Name Census estimates that about 12,562 living Americans carry the surname Bruns. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,285 residents.
How common is Bruns?
Bruns ranks #3,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,955 people with the surname Bruns. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,562), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bruns.
Has Bruns become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bruns went from 11,158 recorded bearers to 10,955. That is a decrease of 203 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,234 to #3,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Bruns?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bruns, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Bruns in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (10,173 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bruns appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Bruns (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 Bruns mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the personal name Bruno, meaning "brown" or "dark-skinned." 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 Bruns (3.67 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 Bruns?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.