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Bruns History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Bruns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of notable family names, including that of the distinguished Bruns family. Originally, the people in this region went by one (personal) name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. These names then began to become "fixed" or hereditary between the generations. One of the types of names adopted as surnames were those derived from nicknames. Nicknames, or "eke-names," were an added name that generally reflected some physical characteristics or other attribute of the person that used the name. The Bruns surname derives from the French word "brun," meaning "brown"; and therefore was a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in the colour brown.

Early Origins of the Bruns family

The surname Bruns was first found in Poitou where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times.

Many members of this prominent family are listed in the ancient records as participants in the events surrounding the French Revolution. Distinctive among them were, François Le Brun who was elected as a Deputy of the Clergy to the Estates General on April 24, 1789; Marie Lucien Lebrun who was elected to the Legislature on September 2, 1791; and Benoit Lebrun who was elected as the representative at the Chambre of "Cent-Jours" on May 11, 1815.

Participating actively throughout the Revolution, Charles François Lebrun, Duke of Plaisance, was named the Inspector General of the domaines of the Crown and on March 29, 1789, he was elected as a Deputy to the Estates General. Once his term as Deputy was completed, he became the President of the Directoire of Seine et Oise. Charles was committed to Napoléon and in 1805, he was named the Governor General of the Republic of Gênes.

After the abdication of King Louis of Holland in 1810, Charles was granted the title of Lieutenant General of the Emperor and among his duties was the organization of all public services in Holland. However, after the invasion of Holland, he had to abandon his post and return to France where he remained faithful to Napoléon.

Noel Lebrun, born in 1669, son of Jean and Catherine of Boulogne, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. He married Anne Brochu, daughter of Jean and Nicole, at Saint-Jean-de-l'île-d'Orléans on 4th February 1697. 1

Early History of the Bruns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bruns research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1619, 1661, 1662, 1683, 1690 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Bruns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bruns Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lebrun, Le Brun, Les Bruns, Brun, Brunne, Des Bruns, De brun, De Brun, Debrun, Des brun, Le Brune and many more.

Early Notables of the Bruns family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bruns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bruns Ranking

In the United States, the name Bruns is the 3,180^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2

Bruns migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bruns Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Bruns, who landed in America in 1664 3

Bruns Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Friedrich Bruns, who landed in America in 1777 3
Christian Bruns, who arrived in America in 1780 3
Gottfried Bruns, who arrived in America in 1780 3

Bruns Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Georg Jos Bruns, who arrived in America in 1813-1820 3
Bernh Heinr Bruns, who landed in America in 1820 3
Anna Bruns, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 3
D Bruns, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
H Bruns, who landed in North America in 1832-1849 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bruns migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bruns Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Bruns, (b. 1826), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 4
Mrs. Ann Bruns, (b. 1831), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Egmont" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 23rd December 1853 4
Mr. John Bruns, (b. 1826), aged 30, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 4
Mrs. Margaret Bruns, (b. 1833), aged 23, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Bruns (post 1700) +

George William Bruns (b. 1946), retired American basketball player
Julia Eliza Bruns (1895-1927), American stage and silent film actress
Mona Bruns (1899-2000), American actress on the stage, films, radio, and television
Philip Bruns (1931-2012), American television actor and writer
George Bruns (1914-1983), American composer of music for film and television
Gustav-Adolf Bruns (1902-1945), highly decorated German Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II
Paul von Bruns (1846-1916), German surgeon
Axel Bruns (1915-1990), highly decorated German Hauptmann der Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II
Diedrich Bruns (1897-1988), highly decorated German Oberstleutnant der Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II
Victor von Bruns (1812-1883), German surgeon
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bruns family +

Bismarck

Rudi Bruns (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 5

USS Arizona

Mr. Martin B. Bruns, American Yeoman Second Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 6

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html