Explore the Family Name Bruneau
The meaning of Bruneau
French: diminutive of Brun ‘brown’. Compare Bruno 4, Burno 2, and Bronaugh. History: Pierre-Guillaume Bruneau dit Pelletier, from Poitiers, France, married Marie-Élisabeth Morin in Quebec City, QC, in 1758. — In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by Joseph Petit dit Bruneau from Paris, France, who married Marie Chenay in Quebec City, QC, in 1675. — This surname is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of South Carolina (see Bronaugh). Some characteristic forenames: French Pierre, Patrice, Alcide, Amie, Andre, Arianne, Armand, Cecile, Emile, Jean-Claude, Lucien, Napoleon.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bruneau in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bruneau experienced a slight dip in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 15,710th most popular, but dropped to 16,593rd by 2010 — a decrease of approximately 5.62%. However, the count of individuals with this surname moderately increased from 1,707 in 2000 to 1,728 in 2010, representing a growth of about 1.23%. The proportion per 100,000 people also slightly declined from 0.63 to 0.59 during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,710 | #16,593 | -5.62% |
| Count | 1,707 | 1,728 | 1.23% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.59 | -6.35% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bruneau
The Decennial U.S. Census data on ethnicity shows some shifts in ethnic identity among individuals with the surname Bruneau between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as White remained relatively stable, decreasing just slightly from 94.96% to 94.21%. Those identifying as Black saw a notable increase, rising from 1.82% to 2.20%, while those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased, moving from 0.41% to 0.52%. The percentage reporting two or more races jumped from 1.17% to 1.74%, marking the highest increase among all ethnicities. Hispanic representation fell marginally from 0.94% to 0.87%, whereas American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw the most significant decline, dropping from 0.70% to 0.46%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.96% | 94.21% | -0.79% |
| Black | 1.82% | 2.2% | 20.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.17% | 1.74% | 48.72% |
| Hispanic | 0.94% | 0.87% | -7.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.52% | 26.83% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.7% | 0.46% | -34.29% |