Bruce

Last seen for girls in 1995 at #13,386 · #536 for boys in 2025, 558 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1952 · 14,480 births
Debut · boys
47 births
In top 100 · boys
39 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
386,880
since 1880

Bruce over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917peak #25, 1952boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#536558
2024—#536555
2023—#542547
2022—#563526
2021—#535549
2020—#498587
2019—#471624
2018—#473614
2017—#429722
2016—#440702
2015—#404766
2014—#401773
2013—#417710
2012—#422668
2011—#469574
2010—#533485
2009—#466586
2008—#478581
2007—#439636
2006—#481550
2005—#504490
2004—#474532
2003—#486509
2002—#467510
2001—#424579
2000—#432563
1999—#407589
1998—#383652
1997—#383631
1996—#364663
1995#13,3865#362665
1994—#331747
1993—#321822
1992—#291922
1991#11,5096#2611,039
1990—#2391,170
1989—#2221,212
1988#10,3866#2051,286
1987#7,9878#1991,304
1986#7,7498#1891,348
1985#4,63516#1831,412
1984#6,29110#1751,460
1983#5,82411#1781,439
1982#6,8889#1691,588
1981#8,1287#1641,634
1980#4,32717#1571,650
1979#5,42712#1521,712
1978#4,93113#1511,701
1977#4,94213#1481,700
1976#3,81217#1481,689
1975#5,9849#1401,789
1974#4,22714#1361,854
1973#3,97115#1341,914
1972#3,89415#1212,313
1971#3,06222#1082,973
1970#3,71216#943,482
1969#3,19918#724,041
1968#2,29628#614,486
1967#2,86819#555,067
1966#2,05832#535,843
1965#2,29327#506,325
1964#1,91838#467,890
1963#2,06133#439,275
1962#2,11331#4110,038
1961#2,15030#4010,705
1960#1,98233#3910,972
1959#1,82037#3811,914
1958#1,82036#3612,472
1957#1,95731#3413,882
1956#1,87133#3314,660
1955#1,83933#3214,082
1954#1,73935#3014,155
1953#1,78331#2814,048
1952#1,78131#2514,480
1951#1,61135#2614,090
1950#1,83527#2612,674
1949#1,62733#2612,265
1948#1,90125#2811,065
1947#1,94625#2910,524
1946#2,22818#328,459
1945#2,33914#485,615
1944#2,09617#515,262
1943#1,94920#515,431
1942#2,11717#505,385
1941#2,39713#514,302
1940#2,02916#553,789
1939#3,4297#643,233
1938#2,02116#663,127
1937#2,19614#702,810
1936#2,8579#732,630
1935#3,1568#772,447
1934#2,28913#782,401
1933#2,54011#912,037
1932#2,49012#981,935
1931#2,9729#1011,787
1930#2,20215#1091,712
1929#2,58712#1121,618
1928#1,89720#1121,628
1927#2,55213#1231,459
1926#3,04610#1271,413
1925#4,0287#1301,354
1924#2,97311#1331,311
1923#2,58713#1351,224
1922#2,95811#1421,106
1921#2,63313#1461,070
1920#2,01519#149996
1919#2,64012#151880
1918#2,67412#146988
1917#4,0836#156805
1916#2,02816#162740
1915#3,4347#171663
1914#2,8767#169530
1913#2,8276#175390
1912—#178328
1911#2,4635#197155
1910—#23998
1909—#185121
1908#2,1015#20499
1907—#21389
1906—#22477
1905—#20585
1904—#19887
1903—#22067
1902—#23460
1901—#21165
1900—#21086
1899—#20066
1898—#21964
1897—#22258
1896#1,4166#21669
1895#1,5925#21365
1894—#21163
1893—#21264
1892—#22660
1891—#22750
1890—#21659
1889—#20562
1888—#26245
1887—#24144
1886—#22855
1885—#21356
1884—#26940
1883—#21550
1882—#19366
1881—#27034
1880—#24147
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Bruce was already there! It came in at #241, and was given to 47 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1881, when fewer than 48 boys a year got the name.

Where Bruce is popular in 1917

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedAKMaine: #172 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,045 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedNHWashington: #85 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 364 boysWAIdaho: #99 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 382 boysIDMontana: #115 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 600 boysMTNorth Dakota: #114 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 551 boysNDMinnesota: #137 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 860 boysMNIllinois: #185 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,614 boysILWisconsin: #152 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 1,041 boysWIMichigan: #125 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 772 boysMINew York: #162 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 1,574 boysNYMassachusetts: #285 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,341 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedRIOregon: #80 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 350 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedNVWyoming: #68 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 242 boysWYSouth Dakota: #138 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 669 boysSDIowa: #122 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 661 boysIAIndiana: #127 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 879 boysINOhio: #130 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 948 boysOHPennsylvania: #123 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 1,063 boysPANew Jersey: #157 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,863 boysNJConnecticut: #187 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,109 boysCTCalifornia: #110 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 657 boysCAUtah: #145 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 577 boysUTColorado: #156 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 839 boysCONebraska: #168 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 983 boysNEMissouri: #269 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,224 boysMOKentucky: #189 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,326 boysKYWest Virginia: #111 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 602 boysWVVirginia: #150 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 939 boysVAMaryland: #156 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,325 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedDEArizona: #131 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 539 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedNMKansas: #141 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 856 boysKSArkansas: #149 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 825 boysARTennessee: #162 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 1,103 boysTNNorth Carolina: #121 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 696 boysNCSouth Carolina: #179 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 1,207 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #159 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 875 boysOKLouisiana: #215 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,164 boysLAMississippi: #202 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,334 boysMSAlabama: #188 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,265 boysALGeorgia: #218 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,636 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Bruce, so not publishedHITexas: #281 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,651 boysTXFlorida: #215 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,303 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wyoming#68 · 1 in 242
  2. Oregon#80 · 1 in 350
  3. Washington#85 · 1 in 364
  4. Idaho#99 · 1 in 382
  5. California#110 · 1 in 657

Best ever in a state: #12 in New Hampshire, 1947.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wyoming#6851 in 242
Oregon#80131 in 350
Washington#85211 in 364
Idaho#9991 in 382
California#110291 in 657
West Virginia#111201 in 602
North Dakota#114121 in 551
Montana#11591 in 600
North Carolina#121381 in 696
Iowa#122281 in 661
Pennsylvania#123731 in 1,063
Michigan#125381 in 772
Indiana#127241 in 879
Ohio#130461 in 948
Arizona#13151 in 539
Minnesota#137221 in 860
South Dakota#13881 in 669
Kansas#141161 in 856
Utah#14571 in 577
Arkansas#149181 in 825
Virginia#150211 in 939
Wisconsin#152201 in 1,041
Colorado#15681 in 839
Maryland#15681 in 1,325
New Jersey#157141 in 1,863
Oklahoma#159191 in 875
New York#162541 in 1,574
Tennessee#162181 in 1,103
Nebraska#168111 in 983
Maine#17251 in 1,045
South Carolina#179141 in 1,207
Illinois#185311 in 1,614
Connecticut#18761 in 2,109
Alabama#188161 in 1,265
Kentucky#189151 in 1,326
Mississippi#202121 in 1,334
Florida#21561 in 1,303
Louisiana#215131 in 1,164
Georgia#218161 in 1,636
Missouri#269111 in 2,224
Texas#281241 in 1,651
Massachusetts#28571 in 4,341
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Bruce
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • Held #536 since 2024
  • 38 spots since 2020 (#498 → #536)
  • 132 spots since 2015 (#404 → #536)
  • Biggest jump: 77 spots in 1882 (#270 → #193)
  • Biggest drop: 67 spots in 2010 (#466 → #533)
Rise & fade · boys
72 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1952 at #25 (14,480 births)
  • Births halved by 1965, 13 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 39 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 39 yrs · run 1932–1970
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 134
  • Highest: 1 in 134 boys born in 1951 were named Bruce (0.75%)
  • Latest: 1 in 3,061 boys born in 2025 (0.03%)
  • Its best rank, #25 in 1952, was only 1 in 134 (0.74%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 35.3% of all boys named Bruce (136,457) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s499#193 (1882)#234
1890s618#200 (1899)#216
1900s836#185 (1909)#210
1910s5,577#146 (1918)#174
1920s13,179#112 (1928)#131
1930s24,119#64 (1939)#83
1940s72,097#26 (1949)#42
1950s136,457#25 (1952)#31
1960s74,642#39 (1960)#50
1970s21,127#94 (1970)#133
1980s14,333#157 (1980)#184
1990s7,900#239 (1990)#334
2000s5,536#424 (2001)#465
2010s6,638#401 (2014)#446
2020s3,322#498 (2020)#535

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Bruce in 1917

girls
#4,083
6 births · 1 in 180,211 girls
boys
#156
805 births · 1 in 1,150 boys

Top girls' names in 1917

  1. #1Mary64,280
  2. #2Helen34,251
  3. #3Dorothy28,852
  4. #4Margaret25,560
  5. #5Ruth23,568
  6. #6Mildred16,256
  7. #7Anna15,160
  8. #8Elizabeth15,131
  9. #9Frances14,363
  10. #10Virginia14,261
  11. #4,083Bruce6

Top boys' names in 1917

  1. #1John51,852
  2. #2William42,422
  3. #3James37,337
  4. #4Robert35,220
  5. #5Joseph24,761
  6. #6George24,196
  7. #7Charles24,143
  8. #8Edward17,501
  9. #9Frank15,768
  10. #10Thomas12,611
  11. #156Bruce805
More about 1917

girls

1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 180,211 of them was named Bruce, which outranked 23.1% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bruce
  1. #3,713Zenia7
  2. #3,713Zenna7
  3. #3,713Zoila7
  4. #4,083Bruce6
  5. #4,083Addis6
  6. #4,083Adelaine6
  7. #4,083Adena6
  8. #4,594Aaron5
  9. #4,594Abell5
  10. #4,594Adalaide5

Tied with 510 names at #4,083; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 549Georgene#1,445 → #896
  2. ↑ 380Ottie#1,332 → #952
  3. ↑ 365Louis#1,298 → #933
  4. ↑ 334Valentine#1,298 → #964
  5. ↑ 322Harold#1,210 → #888
Fallers
  1. ↓ 401Ceola#840 → #1,241
  2. ↓ 373Floretta#964 → #1,337
  3. ↓ 344Buelah#993 → #1,337
  4. ↓ 326Glennie#915 → #1,241
  5. ↓ 290Maye#915 → #1,205

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

925,482 boys got a published name in 1917; 1 in 1,150 of them was named Bruce, which outranked 96.6% of the 4,602 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Bruce
  1. #153Lyle855
  2. #154Patrick836
  3. #155Salvatore834
  4. #156Bruce805
  5. #157Otto803
  6. #158Jose800
  7. #159Clifton794
Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. ↑ 520Nicolas#1,304 → #784
  2. ↑ 469Hezekiah#1,415 → #946
  3. ↑ 433Hilliard#1,415 → #982
  4. ↑ 404Rayford#1,304 → #900
  5. ↑ 338Minoru#1,335 → #997
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,738Tatsuo#824 → #2,562
  2. ↓ 709Berlin#984 → #1,693
  3. ↓ 556Prentice#972 → #1,528
  4. ↓ 473Manning#964 → #1,437
  5. ↓ 457Lovell#939 → #1,396

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1917 →