Explore the Family Name Bruno

The meaning of Bruno

1. Italian, French, West Indian (mainly Haiti), Spanish, and Portuguese: from an ancient Germanic personal name, Bruno (see Brun). In France, it is most common in the southeasternmost part of the country, where it is partly of Italian origin (in any of the possible senses; see also 2 and 3 below). 2. Italian: nickname from bruno ‘brown’, referring to the color of the hair, complexion, or clothing. 3. Italian: possibly also a habitational name from a place called Bruno, for example in Asti province. 4. Altered form of French Bruneau. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Rocco, Sal, Antonio, Carmine, Carlo, Pasquale, Vito, Domenic, Filomena, Gaetano.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bruno in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bruno saw a slight decline in rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from the 1119th to the 1135th most popular surname. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Bruno increased by 7.5%, from 28,729 in 2000 to 30,883 in 2010. However, when looking at the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a marginal dip of about 1.69%.

20002010Change
Rank#1,119#1,135-1.43%
Count28,72930,8837.5%
Proportion per 100k10.6510.47-1.69%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bruno

Turning to the question of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data provides an insightful overview of the changes between 2000 and 2010. The largest increase was witnessed among those identifying as Hispanic, with a growth of 37.82%. There were also notable increases within the Black (23.46%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (30.77%) populations. However, those identifying as White saw a decrease of 7.12% and there was a 24.34% shrinkage in the category of two or more races. The American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a modest increase of 12.73%.

20002010Change
White79.77%74.09%-7.12%
Hispanic11.58%15.96%37.82%
Black5.67%7%23.46%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.91%1.19%30.77%
Two or More Races1.52%1.15%-24.34%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.55%0.62%12.73%

Bruno ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bruno is Italian, which comprises 32.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.8%) and French & German (14.8%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Indigenous American, Scandinavian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Italian32.8%
British & Irish24.8%
French & German14.8%
Other27.6%
Bruno

Possible origins of the surname Bruno

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bruno have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Sicily, Italy54.80%
Greater London, United Kingdom53.60%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom53.40%
Campania, Italy53.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom53.10%

What Bruno haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bruno is E-M78, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M78 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-M67 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Russo, Hoffman, Frank, Schneider, Klein, Schmidt, Marino, Wagner, Kramer, Snyder.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bruno surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

brunoPaternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bruno have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bruno

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bruno" Surname 37.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bruno

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bruno" Surname 26.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bruno

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bruno" Surname 22.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bruno

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bruno" Surname 13.4%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bruno?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bruno are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Italian 58.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%