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

DeBruce, 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 DeBruce surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeBruce in America

DeBruce is the 69392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeBruce surname appeared 283 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 DeBruce.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeBruce 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 DeBruce

The surname DEBRUCE originated in France during the medieval period. It derives from the Old French phrase "de Brus" or "de Bruis," meaning "from Brix" or "from Brice," referring to a town or village in Normandy. The name likely evolved from a nickname describing someone who came from that specific location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DEBRUCE surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a detailed survey of landowners in England and parts of Wales. This suggests that the name had already spread to England by the late 11th century, likely through the Norman conquest of 1066.

In the 12th century, Robert de Brus (c. 1078-1142) was a prominent Norman knight who accompanied King David I of Scotland on his campaigns. He was granted lands in Annandale, Scotland, and is considered the progenitor of the Scottish branch of the DEBRUCE family.

The DEBRUCE surname gained further prominence in the 13th and 14th centuries through Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), a descendant of Robert de Brus. Robert the Bruce played a pivotal role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England and became King of Scots in 1306.

Another notable figure was Sir William de Brus (c. 1260-1305), a Scottish knight and the younger brother of Robert the Bruce. He fought alongside his brother in the Wars of Scottish Independence but was eventually captured and executed by the English.

In the 15th century, John de Brus (c. 1415-1492) was a Scottish prelate who served as Bishop of Glasgow and played a significant role in the reconstruction of Glasgow Cathedral after it was damaged during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

As the DEBRUCE surname spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, including DeBruces, Debruces, and Debruce. Some families also adopted anglicized versions of the name, such as Bruce or Bryce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeBruce

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

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

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

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