Boy · #552 in 2026

Bruce

Name: Popularity of the name Bruce in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Bruce, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Bruce is an English language name that arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a Scottish surname since medieval times; it is now a common male given name.

Current Rank

#552

Peak Rank

#25 (1956)

Total Babies

387K

5-Yr Trend

-13%

1895

First Year

1995

Last Year

1964

Peak Year

#1918

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Bruce

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Bruce

Bruce first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 47 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 14,660 Bruces were born — ranking #33 that year. As of 2026, Bruce ranks #552 for baby boys with 537 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 387K Bruces have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Bruce

Phonetically similar names — useful when Bruce is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Bruise
Brass
Brace
Bryce
Bras
Brews
Bruse
Brice
Bris
Brus
Burress
Briss

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bruce

What does the name Bruce mean?

How popular is Bruce in 2026?

In 2026, Bruce ranks #552 among boys' names in the U.S., with 537 babies given the name that year.

When was Bruce most popular?

Bruce reached its peak popularity in 1956, ranking #25 that year with 14,660 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Bruce most popular?

Bruce has historically been most popular in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bruce.

Is Bruce a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Bruce is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Bruce?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bruce include Will, Herbert, Wyatt. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Bruce

Bruce is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 387K births in the dataset. Bruce's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #25. Use the chart and map above to compare Bruce's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.