Bruce

The origins of the great Scottish surname Bruce actually lie off of the British Isles, as Bruce (or Brus) was a name carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bruce family originally lived in Normandy. The exact location of the place from which the family name is derived is under dispute, as one may expect of such a prominent name. The traditional interpretation is that the name is derived from the place-name Brix, in La Manche. It is argued, however, that there is no real evidence in support of this, and that the name is actually derived from the placename Le Brus, in Calvados.