The

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

name Bruce arrived in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

with the Normans, from the place name

Brix, Manche Brix () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in northwestern France. History The origin of the name Brix derives from the Gaulish suffix brut-. Brix is known primarily as being the assumed origin of the Bruce family, who emigrat ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

(1274−1329), it has been a Scottish surname since medieval times; it is now a common given name. The variant ''Lebrix'' and ''Le Brix'' are

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

variations of the surname.

Actors

Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who prior to his screen career was a highly successful college athlete in football and in both intercol ...

(1906–2007), American actor and athlete *

Bruce Boxleitner Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950) is an American actor and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series '' How the West Was Won'', '' Bring 'Em Back Alive'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King ...

(born 1950), American actor *

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low ...

(born 1958), American actor, director, writer, producer and author *

Bruce Davison Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor and director. Davison is well known for his starring role as Willard Stiles in the cult horror film '' Willard'' (1971) and his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning perfor ...

(born 1946), American actor and director *

Bruce Dern Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He has often played supporting villainous characters of unstable natures. He has received several accolades, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the Silver B ...

(born 1936), American actor *

Bruce Gray Bruce Gray (September 7, 1936 – December 13, 2017) was a Canadian actor, known for multiple roles in films and television shows for over 5 decades. Early Years Gray was born in Puerto Rico and lived in Toronto after 1949. He graduated from ...

(1936–2017), American-Canadian actor *

Bruce Greenwood Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He is known for his role as the American president John F. Kennedy in '' Thirteen Days,'' for which he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion ...

(born 1956), Canadian actor and musician *

Bruce Herbelin-Earle Bruce Charles Herbelin-Earle (born 7 July 1998) is an English-French actor and model, known for portraying the role of Marcus Greenbridge on the Netflix drama series ''Free Rein'' (2017–2020). He is signed to IMG Models. Early life Herbelin-Ea ...

(born 1998), English-French actor and model * Bruce Jones (born 1953), English actor * Bruce Kirby (1925–2021), American actor *

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...

(1940–1973), martial artist and movie star *

Bruce Lester Bruce Lester (6 June 1912 – 13 June 2008) was a South African-born English film actor with over 60 screen appearances to his credit between 1934 and his retirement from acting in 1958. Lester's career divided into two distinct periods. Betwee ...

(1912–2008), English actor *

Bruce McCulloch Bruce Ian McCulloch is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, musician and film director. McCulloch is perhaps best known for his work as a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, including starring in the TV series of the same name. He ...

(born 1961), Canadian actor and comedian *

Bruce McGill Bruce Travis McGill (born July 11, 1950) is an American actor. He worked with director Michael Mann in the movies '' The Insider'' (1999), ''Ali'' (2001), and ''Collateral'' (2004). McGill's other notable film roles include Daniel Simpson "D-Day" ...

(born 1950), American actor *

Bruce Payne Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in ''Passenger 57'', Jacob Kell in '' Highlander: End ...

, English actor *

Bruce Spence Bruce Spence (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand–Australian actor. Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre. Biography Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1971 comedy ...

(born 1945), New Zealander-Australian actor *

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

(born 1955), American actor

Musicians

Bruce Abel Bruce Abel (25 July 1936 – 10 March 2021) was an American bass singer. Biography Abel studied singing at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City under Hans Heinz, where he excelled in studies of French art songs and German lieder. He ...

(1936–2021), American singer *

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, po ...

(born 1945), Canadian guitarist, singer-songwriter, and author *

Bruce Dickinson Paul Bruce Dickinson (born 7 August 1958) is an English singer who has been the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1993 and 1999–present. He is known for his wide-ranging operatic vocal style and energetic stage ...

(born 1958), English singer, songwriter, writer, and brewer *

Bruce Guthro Bruce Guthro (born August 31, 1961) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Guthro has recorded as a solo artist, and was lead vocalist for the Scottish celtic rock band Runrig from 1998, until the group retired i ...

(born 1961), Canadian singer-songwriter *

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

(born 1954), American singer-songwriter and pianist *

Bruce Johnston Bruce Arthur Johnston (born Benjamin Baldwin; June 27, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is a member of the Beach Boys. Johnston also collaborated on many records with Terry Melcher (his bandmate in Bru ...

(born 1942), American musician, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer *

Bruce Kulick Bruce Howard Kulick (born December 12, 1953) is an American guitarist and since 2000 a member of the rock band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick was a long-time member of the band Kiss (19841996). He was also a member of Union with John Cor ...

(born 1953), American musician *

Bruce Levingston Bruce Levingston is an American concert pianist. Levingston was born and grew up in the Mississippi Delta. He was educated at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia, graduating in 1979. Levingston has performed many times at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln ...

, American concert pianist *

Bruce Molsky Bruce C. Molsky (born 1955, New York City) is an American fiddler, banjo player, guitarist, and singer. He primarily performs old-time music of the Appalachian region. Early years As a young man, Molsky first became interested in blues music, but ...

, (born 1955), American multi-instrumentalist and singer *

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

(born 1949), American singer-songwriter, and musician *

Bruce Welch Bruce Welch (born 2 November 1941 as Bruce Cripps) is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows. Biography Welch's parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) moved him to 15 B ...

(born 1941), English guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Sports

Bruce Arena Bruce Arena (born September 21, 1951) is an American soccer coach who is the head coach and sporting director of the New England Revolution. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Arena has had ...

(born 1951), American national soccer coach *

Bruce Arians Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...

(born 1952), American football head coach * Bruce Bennett (1943–2021), American football player *

Bruce Bochte Bruce Anton Bochte ( ; born November 12, 1950) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from – and –. He played his entire career in the American League for the California An ...

(born 1950), American baseball player * Bruce Bochy (born 1955), American retired baseball team manager and player * Bruce Bolden (born 1963), American basketball player * Bruce Bowen (born 1971) American basketball player * Bruce Boudreau (born 1955), Canadian hockey player and coach * Bruce Carter (American football) (born 1988), American football player * Bruce Chen (born 1977), Panamanian professional baseball pitcher * Bruce Claridge (died 1999), Canadian football player * Bruce Dalrymple (born 1964), American basketball player * Bruce Dombolo (born 1985), French footballer * Bruce Fleisher (born 1948), American professional golfer * Bruce Gamble (1938-1982), Canadian professional ice hockey goalie * Bruce Grobbelaar (born 1957), Zimbabwean football goalkeeper and manager * Bruce Hector (born 1994), American football player * Bruce Holmes (born 1965), American football player * Bruce Irons (surfer), Bruce Irons (born 1979), American surfer * Bruce Irvin (born 1987), American football player * Bruce Jankowski (born 1949), American football player * Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner; born 1949), Olympic gold medalist, auto racer, businessperson, television personality * Bruce Kent (cyclist) (1928–1979), New Zealander cyclist * Bruce LaSane (born 1967), American football player * Bruce Manson (born 1956), American tennis player * Bruce McCray (born 1963), American football player * Bruce McLaren (1937–1970), New Zealander race car driver and designer, Founder of McLaren * Bruce McPhail (1937–2020), New Zealander rugby union player * Bruce Pandolfini (born 1947), American chess author, teacher, and coach * Bruce Reid (born 1963) is a former Australian Test cricketer * Bruce Reid Sr. (1929–1955), Footscray VFL footballer * Bruce Reid Jr. (born 1955), Footscray and Carlton VFL footballer * Bruce K. Reid (1950–1970), South Melbourne VFL footballer * Bruce Reid (doctor) (1946–2020), Hawthorn VFL footballer and Essendon club doctor * Bruce Seldon (born 1967), American boxing heavyweight and world champion * Bruce Smith (halfback) (1920–1967), American football player * Bruce Smith (Australian footballer) (born 1944), Australian rules footballer * Bruce Smith (cricketer) (born 1946), New Zealand cricketer * Bruce Smith (Canadian football) (1949–2013), Canadian football player * Bruce Smith (luger) (born 1958), Canadian luger * Bruce Smith (rugby union) (born 1959), New Zealand rugby union player * Bruce Smith (born 1963), American football player * Bruce Sutter (1953–2022), American baseball pitcher * Bruce Tasker (born 1987), bobsledder

Other professions

* Bruce Allen (disambiguation), multiple people * Bruce Angrave (1914–1983), British poster artist, illustrator and author * Bruce Bawer (born 1956), American author and cultural critic * Bruce Berman (born 1952), American film producer * Bruce G. Blair (1947–2020), American nuclear security expert, research scholar, author, and TV producer * Bruce W. Carr (1924–1998), American flying ace during World War II * Bruce W. Carter (1950–1969), American Marine killed during the Vietnam War, awarded Medal of Honor * Bruce Conner (1933–2008), American artist and filmmaker * Bruce Forsyth (1928–2017), English TV host and entertainer * Bruce Fuchs, American immunologist and health science administrator * Bruce Gray (sculptor), Bruce Gray (1956–2019), American sculptor * Bruce Kent (1929–2022), British political activist and priest * Bruce Lander (born 1946), Judge of the Federal Court of Australia * Bruce George Peter Lee (born 1960), prolific British serial killer, arsonist, and mass murderer * Bruce Lerman, American cardiologist; Chief of the Division of Cardiology and Director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Presbyterian Hospital * Bruce Lindahl (1953–1981), American serial killer * Bruce Marks (born 1957), American politician * 2010-2017 Toronto serial homicides#Perpetrator, Thomas Donald Bruce McArthur (born 1951), Canadian serial killer; better known as Bruce McArthur * Bruce McCall (born 1935), Canadian author and illustrator * Bruce Mendenhall (born 1951), American suspected serial killer * Bruce Morrow ("Cousin Brucie"), American radio personality * Bruce Montgomery (disambiguation), multiple people * Bruce Nauman (born 1941), American artist * Bruce Nestande (1938–2020), American politician * Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, American mass murderer and perpetrator of the 2009 Covina massacre * Bruce Parry (born 1969), English explorer, author, indigenous rights advocate and documentarian * Bruce Perens, computer programmer, open source founder * Bruce Rauner (born 1957), American businessman and politician * Bruce Reid (politician) (1935–2020), Australian Liberal Party politician * Bruce Ritchie (born 1965), British property developer * Bruce Rockowitz (born 1958/59), American businessman * Bruce Sterling, American science fiction writer * Bruce Schneier (born 1963), cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist and writer * Bruce Thorburn, from the Hooley Dooleys * Bruce Vento (1940–2000), American politician * Bruce Weber (photographer), Bruce Weber (born 1946), American fashion photographer and filmmaker * Bruce Webster, American software engineer, educator, and author * Bruce West (artist), Bruce West (1939–2021), American artist * Bruce Westerman (born 1967), American politician * Bruce Western, Bruce Prichart Western (born 1964), American sociologist * Bruce Wilcox (born 1951), American programmer

Fictional characters

* Bruce, one of the Delightful Children From Down The Lane on ''Codename: Kids Next Door'' * Bruce, a great white shark in ''Finding Nemo'' * Bruce, a replica of the shark from the 1975 film ''Jaws (film), Jaws'' displayed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the nickname given by the film crew to the prop sharks * The Bruces, from the ''Monty Python'' Bruces sketch * Bruce Banner, the alter ego of the ''Hulk'' * Bruce Ben-Bacharach, the main character's manager in ''Lady Dynamite'' * "''The'' Bruce Dickinson", from the ''SNL'' More Cowbell sketch * Bruce Hyena, a supporting character in the Geronimo Stilton book franchise * Bruce Irvin, a Muay Thai kickboxer and fictional character from the ''Tekken'' series * Bruce McKenzie, effeminate minor character in ''Family Guy'' * Bruce Nolan, a reporter who is offered a chance to be God for a week in ''Bruce Almighty'' * Bruce Sato, from the cartoon ''M.A.S.K. (TV series), M.A.S.K.'' * Bruce Wayne, a billionaire and the secret identity of Batman * Bruce, a penguin-like species on the virtual pet website Neopets. It was named after Bruce Forsyth.

References