344 Bru members around the world

Bru Family History

Recorded in many spellings from Brown, Broune, and De Bruyn, to Brauner, Bruni and Brunet, this ancient and prolific surname derives, from a pre 7th century Germanic and Anglo-Saxon word "brun" or the Olde Norse personal name "Bruni". Originally this name would probably have been a nationlistic or tribal nickname for a person with a brown complexion or hair, although it may also have referred to someone who habitually wore brown clothing, such as a monk or cleric. The baptismal name as Brun or the latinized Brunus, was a popular name in the period upto the introduction of surnames in the 12th century, see below.