Bruno

Several children's tales feature animals, including brown bears. Such brown bears have traditionally been given a single name. That name is Bruno. It comes from the Germanic brun, meaning "brown."

Despite its Nordic roots, Bruno entered use among German-speakers. It has been that way since the Middle Ages. It's also regal and saintly. For example, the name has been worn by the Duke of Saxony in the ninth century. Two centuries later came St. Bruno of Cologne. He became famous for finding Carthusian Order. Both the Duke of Saxony and St. Bruno were born in Germany. 

Despite its history, Bruno didn't enter use among English-speakers until the nineteenth century. Two factors are responsible for this. First, several Germans immigrated to English-speaking nations, thus spreading the name. Second, Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice in Wonderland, write a novel entitled Sylvie and Bruno in the late 1880s. The Bruno in that story was not a brown bear. 

In the United States, Bruno ranked most years through the early 1970s. Never having died out, it came back to the charts in the early 2000s. While singer Bruno Mars, who was born Peter Gene Hernandez, made his name more popular since his breakout in 2009, the name has remained in steady use. Since then, Bruno has mostly ranked in the 700s and 600s. Yet, this may change soon. The 2021 Disney film Encanto featured a Bruno. The song about him, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," recently topped the American charts. We just talked a lot about Bruno, though, and will continue to do so as the name continues it usage. 

Bruno is also in use in England. It is in use in multiple languages, too. The name is especially popular in Spain, Poland, Latvia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. This gives the name international charm. It, along with Bruno's saintly and regal associations and history of consistent use, make Bruno a great choice for parents searching for an exotic classic.

STYLES:

Exotic, Germanic, Italian, Saintly

SISTERS:

Petra, Ingrid, Alma, Esme, Lucia, Beatrix, Rosa, Matilda

SIMILAR BOYS' NAMES:

Rocco, Conrad, Enzo, Linus, Hugo, Anton, Mateo, Oscar

ALTERNATIVES:

Benno, Brogan, Cosmo, Falco, Ivo, Lucio, Renzo, Rollo

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Bruno." Names, Behind the Name, 9 Jun. 2023, https://www.behindthename.com/name/bruno. 

Waterhouse, Emma. "Bruno." Names, Nameberry, 19 Jul. 2023, https://nameberry.com/babyname/bruno. 

What do you think about Bruno?

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