Bruno

BROO-no
Germanic
"brown"

Bruno Origin and Meaning

The name Bruno is a boy's name of German origin meaning "brown".

Tough-yet-cuddly Bruno is an international name even in its origins: it derives from the Germanic word for “brown” plus a Latin ending, and was borrowed as a color word in many European languages.

Today, Bruno is popular in Latin America, Spain, and Eastern Europe, but has been — until recently, at least — neglected in North America.

In the middle ages, it was worn by several rulers and bishops, and an eleventh-century saint. In modern times, Bruno gets its “strong man” image from people like wrestler Bruno Sammartino, and Frank Bruno, the British boxer. That, and the fact it was traditionally a name for bears in children’s tales.

However, Bruno also has a more gentle, soulful side that more and more parents are seeing. Singer Bruno Mars (born Peter, but nicknamed Bruno from a young age after Sammartino) has done a lot to raise its popularity in the last 20 years.

The Disney movie Encanto may do even more, thanks to its misunderstood prophetic Uncle Bruno, and the catchy song We Don’t Talk About Bruno.

As boy names ending in O continue to rise, we can see this appealing to parents looking for something well-known, multicultural, and not too popular.

Its color meaning makes it especially good for a boy born in autumn.

# 708 in the US

Bruno Rank in US Top 1000

# 366 on Nameberry

Bruno Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Bruno Popularity

Famous People Named Bruno

  • Saint Bruno of Cologne
    German founder of the Carthusian Order
  • Saint Bruno the Great
    German Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia
  • Saint Bruno of Querfurt
    German missionary bishop and martyr
  • Saint Bruno
    Italian Bishop of Segni and Abbot of Montecassino
  • Saint Bruno
    Duke of Saxony, one of the Martyrs of Ebsdorf
  • Bruno Mars (born Peter Gene Hernandez)
    American pop,rock singer
  • Bruno Campos
    Brazilian,American actor
  • Bruno Tonioli
    Italian,British choreographer and TV personality
  • Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves
    Portuguese footballer
  • Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino
    Italian,American pro wrestler
  • Bruno Senna
    Brazilian racing driver
  • Bruno Fraga Soares
    Brazilian tennis player
  • Bruno Bettelheim
    Austrian psychoanalyst
  • Bruno Metsu
    French footballer
  • Bruno Merz
    New Zealand singer,songwriter
  • Bruno Coppola
    son of American composer Anton Coppola
  • Bruno Paul Diamond (b. 1996)
    son of celebrity chef Nigella Lawson
  • Bruno Leifer
    Wolf (b. 2007), son of comedienne Carol Leifer
  • Bruno Litmanen (b. 2007)
    son of footballer Jari Litmanen
  • Bruno Wünsche (b. 2008)
    son of actress Annette Frier and Johannes Wünsche; twin of sister Josephine
  • Bruno Franz Harder (b. 2010)
    son of actress Rhea Harder
  • Bruno Lucas Ferreira Souza (b. 2012)
    son of model Danielle Souza and footballer Dentinho
  • Bruno Peres
    Brazilian professional footballer

Bruno in Pop Culture

  • Brüno Gehard
    fashionista character created by Sacha Baron Cohen
  • Bruno Ricci
    son in Italian film "The Bicycle Thief"
  • Bruno
    dog in Disney's 'Cinderella"
  • Bruno
    main character in book/film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
  • Bruno Jenkins
    character in Roald Dahl's "The Witches"
  • Prince Bruno von Grannzreich
    character in "The Royal Tutor"
  • Bruno Battaglia
    character in 2000 film "Bruno"
  • "Bruno the Kid
    " animated series and its main character