Why Is Bruce Such An Australian Name?

[@NameExplain]

Go listen and subscribe to AD History on KZbin and on your podcast player of choice (leaving a review would be fab too x) kzbin.info

[@dixgun]

Thanks for letting us know about it. 😎

[@EdbertWeisly]

Hello name explain

[@T2G-DJT]

No

[@marmac83]

Only outsiders heavily link "Bruce" to Australia.

[@veggiet2009]

It's weird because this is the first time I've heard of this connection. From the US btw

[@Cheldoskop]

100% I've lived in Australia my whole life and I've never heard any of this in my life. Or met anyone named Bruce.

[@marmac83]

@@veggiet2009 I've met older Americans who make the connection.

[@redapol5678]

Really? I swear our own comedians have made up characters called Bruce and they’ve been stereotypically “Aussie” or even bogan. But maybe I’m associating that with references from non-Australian sources. Either way, for me, this is not the first time I’ve heard about what the name ‘Bruce’ is associated with here in Australia and I have actually met a Bruce but have never personally made the connection with his name and the stereotype. The surprising thing for me in the video was the connection with homosexuality as the way I’ve associated Bruce seems very different from what someone would use as a slur against a homosexual person (which may have been the original intention I guess)

[@zach_c]

@@Cheldoskop same

[@Cheldoskop]

I've lived in Australia my whole thirty years and I've never met anyone named Bruce. The only Bruce's I know are American eg. Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Willis

[@manaiabull]

Bruce Spence, Bruce McAvaney, Bruce Doull, just off the top of my head

[@Paul_Ernst]

@@manaiabull Ive never met any of those people. A few well known Bruces doesnt make it a common name. Ive never met a Bruce here.

[@marmac83]

@@manaiabull Bruce Spence was pretty well-known in the 80s... He was in just about any Australian movie. He's from New Zealand, FYI...

[@lukewilki6343]

Yep, lived in Australia for 15 years, never met anyone called Bruce. Pretty sure Monty Python chose that name because it sounds kinda macho.

[@miniveedub]

I’m 73, I went to school with a Bruce. It wasn’t that common in my generation but it became even more rare as time went on.

[@rowboat8343]

As an Australian, I can't say I've ever heard anyone say Bruce for male here. Or that it was an Australian name. That's such a weird stereotype. I've always seen it as a really macho name. Maybe due to growing up watching Bruce Willis movies.

[@redapol5678]

Yeah, I don’t think we use Bruce as a synonym for bloke in anyway, but the name Bruce does conjure up typically Aussie stereotypes in my mind (and I was born, raised and have lived in Australia my whole life, but maybe the stereotype is from UK/US media) Edit: definitely a macho name for me too, but an Aussie macho name in particular

[@mrgobrien]

@@redapol5678 yes - in britain the name bruce is considered very australian (the video states monty python as the reason - it is true but i don't know if monty python is the only or main reason though)

[@Dr_Mid]

Same. I've only met people with the last name Bruce (Including me).

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

Then that makes Sharks the most Australian Animal ever.

[@NCC1371]

“Fish are friends, not food.”

[@PinkAgaricus]

lol I just thought of that Bruce too.

[@Cheldoskop]

Bruce is not the male version of Sheila, I've never heard anyone say that in my life.

[@recycleyourcar]

Right! I have never heard anything like this in my life. I don't think I've even ever known anyone called Bruce

[@zach_c]

Uhhhh didn’t he say it was the male equivalent, not male version? Similar to how the male equivalent of a Karen is a Darren? Darren isn’t the male version of Karen, it’s just the male equivalent.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Bloke is the male version of Sheila.

[@Enpassantful]

G’day Bruce.

[@dixgun]

Had wondered before if Bruce got popularised to hyper speed because of the Monty Python sketch or if the sketch was a commentary on the already-existent popularity.

[@Koala1203]

"Hey Farmer Bruce, where did you find the hat? The toilet?" "Yes"

[@lp-xl9ld]

The actual reason Banner's name was changed for the TV show--this is according to a documentary I saw online a couple of years ago--was that they wanted to get away from the alliteration that Marvel character names seem to be loaded with (Spiderman: Peter Parker; Daredevil: Matt Murdock; Mr. Fantastic: Reed Richards, and so on). The irony, though, is that the Monty Python Australian characters may be named Bruce but they are all homophobes ("Rule One: NO POOFTERS!")

[@alexandermarvin9536]

There was also an American astronaut with the first name Bruce, Bruce McCandless. He was the first astronaut to do an untethered space walk.

[@orcque1046]

This man be teaching us history and names at the same time

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

Bruce is the Aussiest name in history yet Batman doesn't come from Australia.

[@thefrecklepuny]

Neither does Mr Lee!

[@noelleggett5368]

Whaddya talking about! Batman discovered Melbourne! (It’s true, look it up!)

[@miniveedub]

@@noelleggett5368😂😂 and Melbourne was once called Batmania. Unfortunately that Batman’s name was John.

[@jordanferrazza8700]

A sizable portion of the Highway 1 loop in Australia is called 'Bruce Highway'

[@gregwochlik9233]

South Africa, 1996: When I was in my final year of high school, the head prefect was a Bruce Mc...

[@Daleymop]

the history of the name and how it gained popularity here in Australia makes a lot of sense now. We even have a massive major highway named the Bruce Highway, runs pretty much the whole coast of Queensland! The word bloke is more likely to be heard to refer to another man in Australia. Sheila and bloke are both pretty old slang now and are falling out of use, you're most likely to hear them when you head out far inland. Bruce isn't really used in that sense, not that I've come across. You wouldn't say "there's a couple o' Bruces hanging out front of the pub"

[@jasonhuish7887]

There two former DJS in Alberta Called Bruce Bowie, and Bruce Kenyon but worked at 630 CHED and QR 770 their recently retired

[@francesgardner7070]

I know a family with the last name of Brix! Although we’re American so they pronounce it “bricks”

[@AspienPadda]

For a C name, mine is Coreen and it means spear maiden which is funny because it's part of the Wheel of Time

[@alcarbo8613]

I don't think anybody at least in the U.S would call Bruce an Australian name.

[@colltonrighem]

I would, but I blame Finding Nemo for that

[@Cheldoskop]

I don't think anyone in Australia would call it an Australian name either.

[@BlizzardofKnives]

Another Batman related Bruce is Bruce Tim, of DC Animated Universe fame.

[@glenrobertson8006]

The first time I'd heard of Bruce being linked to Australia was in the Stranglers song Nuclear Device, a song about a dodgy Austrlian Premier in the 60s/70s at live gigs the fans shout Bruce and Sheila in gaps after the choruses

[@BOABModels]

"Your name not Bruce? That's going to cause a bit of confusion. Mind if we call you Bruce just to keep it clear?"

[@ARCtheCartoonMaster]

There's also Bruce Reitherman, son of famous Disney animator Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman, and the voice of Mowgli in _The Jungle Book_ , which Woolie directed.

[@Plasmathedeathjester]

I had no idea about the gay or Australia thing about the name Bruce

[@noelleggett5368]

That’s because it’s a load of codswallop.

[@IgabodDobagi]

I work with a guy named Bruce. He's in his 20s. I also trained a Bruce a few years ago who was in his 70s. So Bruce seems to be an ageless name, at least here in the US.

[@igitha..._]

Hi - Ridgy Didg Aussie here ! My and my bros grew up being told when in the car when we asked where we were going that we were heading to Bruce's house.. This video is the explanation I've been waiting for my whole life.

[@sarahwyatte9554]

I wonder if the "Bruce is Australian" thing came about because people to the outside have often thought of Australia and New Zealand as pretty much the same thing, and NZ had a lot more Scottish immigration so I would imagine possibly more Bruces.

[@gentlemansnake6931]

I couldn't imagine knowing a bruce

[@dixgun]

In the song by Electric Light Orchestra called 'Don't Bring Me Down,' it was always assumed that the chorus went, "Don't bring me down . . . BRUCE . . . Don't bring me down . . . BRUCE" . . . but such is not the case.

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Yes, but Jeff Lynne has adopted it as an alternate lyric, as he found it hilarious!

[@moritamikamikara3879]

I remember when I was young I watched a show called legend of the dragon, and in one episode the Protagonist and antagonist are trying to track something down, racing eachother but also racing this group of 3 Australian ghost-hunter types. The joke being that all 3 of them were called Bruce.

[@mrgobrien]

bruce was still the middle name of the hulk (david banner) in the tv series - seen in the opening titles on the memorial stone etc.

[@TurtleChad1]

A turtle approves of Bruce

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

Boy, I think you just approved of a Shark that's trying to eat you in finding Nemo.

[@MatheusCayresdeMello]

The little orange dinosaur was Gon from Masashi Tanaka's manga Gon. I have a theory that the pokemon Bagon was named after him, as both have similar bodies, and both learn to fly (Gon in a story about him borning between birds and Bagon by evolving into Salamence)

[@snyparaustralis540]

Aussie here, literally never heard of the gay link to the name, but Bruce is just seen as an old mans name, hence why it’s unpopular with newborns

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Knew a young lady at QUT called Brucie, but that was from her surname.

[@jankjason]

My grandfathers name was Bruce but he had Scottish parents, he was born in Aus.

[@FozzyBBear]

Back in the day my dad and his friends all called each other Bruce. The Bruce's would gather most Friday nights for a pie floater and you had to convincingly enjoy eating a pie floater to earn the title of Bruce.

[@storyspren]

Bruce as a "gay name", huh? So a Bruce Banner might then be described as a pride flag :D

[@highnoon9333]

Reminds me of the name "Lorne" in Canada. It's so overrepresented there and barely used anywhere else

[@aabidn275]

Bro you really deserve waaay more subscribers

[@auldfouter8661]

The Earl of Kincardine ( Scottish nobleman ) has the surname of Bruce , because he is a descendent of Robert the Bruce ( whose family was originally called de Bruis ).

[@tristanroberts8016]

For some reason, the penguin neopet species in Neopets was named bruce. No idea why.

[@artomatt]

Obviously the next name after Bruce will be Caitlyn

[@Totalinternalreflection]

I guess someone was going to say it. Slow clap for you,

[@Cheldoskop]

Bruce didn't fall out of favour because of that stereotype, that stereotype doesn't even exist here. Bruce has just never been in favour in Australia.

[@mr.worldwide4758]

Patrick you look like a crazy librarian

[@kenaikuskokwim9694]

A string of manly Bruces helped rescue the name from stereotypical abuse starting in the 1970s-- Lee, Willis, Springsteen, and (hard to believe now) Jenner. Cousin Brucie has been a popular disc jockey since the late '50s, and is still at it. In the same era, Robin was rapidly becoming a girls-only name in the States. Then a bunch of successful male Robins came along-- Yount and Ventura in baseball, Williams on TV, Gibb, Zander, and Hitchcock in music. (Robin Zander has both a son and a daughter named Robin-- c'mon, that's a cheap trick.) Male Robins peaked in 1956, females in 1963. Both have fallen to about #1,000. But she-Robins are victims of wild popularity in earlier generations, thus an "old lady's name", like Linda and Jennifer. It's probably dead for a while. Robin is still fresh for boys, and is more likely to make a comeback. Also, many Robins are formally Robert, so the number of boy Robins is understated.

[@the_peefster]

I didn't even know my cat was Australian

[@ingolfrvargr]

My gramdfather is of Scottish origin and has Bruce as his middle name. My favorite Bruce (apart from my grampa) is without a doubt Bruce Dickinson, lead ainger of Iron Maiden. In my opinion the greatest vocalist of all time.

[@makouras]

Mine too, I'm surprised he didn't mention him in the video.

[@williamsvidsandstuffs]

how did you forget Bruce Forsyth

[@auldfouter8661]

Bruce Forsyth even had a famous ancestor - a botanist/gardener whom Forsythia is named after.

[@meetaverma8372]

I'm a beginner writer and I was looking up names, the website I used said Bruce was Welsh, but I guess you're more likely to be right

[@marmac83]

Likely to be right? I'm from Australia, and I've never heard the name Bruce linked to Australia, except maybe from some Americans...

[@meetaverma8372]

@@marmac83 I meant with the norman roots, it also sounds a little french you Know

[@areamusicale]

In Italian Bruce is Bruno, which means DARK.

[@bonecanoe86]

Monmouth County, New Jersey is my favorite part of Australia.

[@itsamachineworld]

My uncle goes by his middle name Bruce rather than his first name, George, and is actually a "Junior." He was named after his father, so that might be why he chose to go by his middle name. I never really realized it was so Australian in connotation, seeing as I saw it as an American name because of him and the famous people/comic characters. I have learned something today!

[@anotherspawn]

Immediately thought of bruce from finding nemo

[@michaelthecarprof]

The whole idea that Bruce was ever a particularly popular name here in Australia is a misconception that only the English believe, courtesy of Monty Python. I believe they chose it less because of any ubiquity here but rather because they thought it sounded funny in a ocker accent.

[@elliothennessy8360]

I’be never met anyone named Bruce, so hearing how popular it is surprised me!

[@goodlookingcorpse]

I thought at first that you'd dressed as Rolf Harris from the 1970s.

[@amberswafford9305]

Besides being a word nerd, I’m also a huge history fanatic so I will check out this podcast. I like y’all’s idea of doing a decade by decade review of history of all the history after Jesus’ birth, aka AD. I look forward to listening. Also, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden who is from the UK so I’d think he’d make the famous Bruce list.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Curious. What are the most American and Canadian associated names?

[@CorwinAlexander]

Without looking up facts the only stereotypical Canadian name that comes to mind is “Johnny Canuck”

[@janabruce9390]

My last name is Bruce. I didn't know a lot about it . now I do.

[@HalfEye79]

The german clich-gay name is Detlef.

[@DieAlteistwiederda]

Is it though? Never heard about that connection n

[@ourladyofdarkness2622]

Did anyone notice the popularity graph is shaped like batman?

[@desirusin13624]

My cousin Bruce and his son also Bruce live in Mississippi.

[@Illumisepoolist]

I thought they changed Hulk's first name to avoid copyright from D.C..

[@3seven5seven1nine9]

I really like how you do live action vids now

[@dracone4370]

I don't recall meeting any Bruces, but I really like learning about names and their histories and their meanings. My real name starts with a B, is Hebrew in origin, and is found in the Bible. Something I've been wondering for a while now, and I haven't found it in the backlog of videos on the channel, is why religious names, that is to say, names tied to religions, are so popular in just about every era. Also, on the subject of names in general, I never understood why names with the same general meaning within the same language have alternative spellings. For example, the name Katherine can also be spelled Catherine but the name doesn't really seem to change in meaning. My grandmother on my father's side of the family had a name that started with a K (which was also the nickname all the grandkids knew her by), which it will take a while for Tristan to get to on this channel, and that's name was Kathleen, she was a first-generation American because her parents came over to the US from Ireland before having her, and she was stubborn, zealous, firecracker of an old bird. So, she basically was an example of some of the stereotypes used to define the Irish, but she was also a bit contradictory in a lot of ways, which all part of the human condition.

[@vivaeljason]

Mentioning Cultaholic raises an eyebrow.

[@rapportbuildingfirst8695]

I've lived in Australia all my life (43 years) - in both Adelaide and Melbourne - never heard of the expression either. Maybe it is a generational thing.

[@johnnyglock2182]

i think the little orange dinosaur in tekken was agumon from digimon

[@rahulg2961]

I'm in Australia but I've never heard this stereotype.

[@igitha..._]

The Bruce Highway...

[@rahulg2961]

@@igitha..._ There's also Alexandria Highway. What's your point?

[@CosmicFisherman]

The Tekken Dinosaur is Gon from the Japanese Manga also called Gon.

[@Dr_Mid]

People with the last name Bruce RISE.

[@dixgun]

Had assumed that the name became associated with homosexuals because it sounds so nice when said in a campy way. It’s such a nice sounding name in general, methinks. The name Bruce always reminded me of apple juice, an association I had since early childhood. When I hear the name Bruce, I still see the image of an apple. 🍏

[@cockneyse]

Never heard this nonsense, is it an American thing??? As a gay man I've never heard it

[@marmac83]

Bruth!!!

[@dixgun]

@@cockneyse who knows where or when it started or why, but as was said like that? Seems no-longer-applicable today. When I was a kid, I heard many people saying it and in an exaggeratedly princess sort of way. One thing that just occurred to me is that it's kind of a macho name, like Robert The Bruce and so said in a sissy voice, it's sort of amusing or ironic or whatever? Theories, only theories.

[@dixgun]

@@marmac83 yes or with an elongated "s" at the end . . .

[@marmac83]

@@dixgun The overt machismo lends itself to being used for a certain gay stereotype...

[@Erykthebat]

the dino from Teken was Bone

[@mildlycornfield]

I was too busy to vote this one lol, I must be sure to vote on the C name!

[@goodlookingcorpse]

Australian here. 'Sheila' meaning 'woman' fell out of common use decades ago. I have never heard of anyone using 'Bruce' in an analogous way. 'Bruce' doesn't even sound particularly Australian to me.

[@unclecrusty9]

"No Poofters!"

[@sadmanislam5111]

I’m pretty sure that the name isn’t just Australian. There are even British people with the name Bruce such as Bruce Forsyth.

[@Cheldoskop]

And American Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Willis.

[@igitha..._]

@@Cheldoskop Bruce Wayne 8D

[@redapol5678]

I don’t think we Aussies use the name Bruce much because of its association with being stereotypically Aussie (but from the amount of other Aussies saying they’ve never heard of it used this way maybe there’s another reason we tend to avoid naming our children Bruce?)

[@lullustration5775]

Bruce still reminds me of the penguin Neopet

[@JackDecker63]

Bruce Willis

[@fermintenava5911]

Bruce Campbell ^^

[@kathconstance4684]

Background information is there; doesn't really answer the question though. I'll keep watching :)

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

The story about Banner's name change has actually been debunked.

[@Paul_Ernst]

The hulk's real name is Robert.

[@marmac83]

@@Paul_Ernst Nah... Hulky McHulkface

[@SnarkNSass]

Cool. Always liked that name.

[@crazymusicchick]

Yep im an Aussie i have scottish heritage and a great Uncle Bruce with that Scottish last name lol

[@iaw7406]

Is it because of the shark ?

[@luciferangelica]

those were the straightest names we had!

[@brunoolas]

Still no Bruno :(

[@sriyasodharmma4021]

:(

[@MsAdlerHolmes]

As an Aussie, the more Aussie name, to me, is Barry. Maybe that's just my own perception. Barry/Bazza.

[@iammaxhailme]

THE IRON MAIDEN

[@warren958]

I thought he'd mention Bruce Pritchard.

[@ThaDSman]

I use Bruce as my name online in most places.

[@ronmaximilian6953]

At least in the us, the name Bruce used to be quite popular in the 1950s. There were certainly a lot of men names Bruce, when I was growing up, but I don't remember anyone my age having the name. I think that the homophobic connotations with the names really hurt, but the name also fell in popularity because of changing demographics in the US. Scottish and Scott's Irish Americans are just a smaller percentage of the population. looking at the attached graph, I almost think of the upswing occurred because of the movie "Braveheart." www.thebump.com/b/bruce-baby-name

[@sandybarnes887]

275k subs. 🎉

[@kyleward3914]

You could make a second channel and call it "Game Explain" if you want an excuse to talk more about games.

[@greamespens1460]

I thought Bruce was his middle name. David Bruce Banner I am not sure and I do not want to get him angry I do not like it when he gets angry ;)

[@nickxcx8841]

I found you having a go at the homophobia surrounding the name sooo cute! It's always nice to see straight men speak up haha, your gay fans thank you!🏳‍🌈🥰

[@franzfanz]

Bruce was the Christian name of the first born male of our family for a few generations until my father when it was relegated to a second name and for me it's my third name. Yes, I am from Down Under though not the particular Down Under country mentioned but the one further east.

[@miniveedub]

You would be hard pressed to find an Aussie called Bruce under the age of 60, it would be easier to find a Gary.

[@macsnafu]

I never heard of Bruce being linked to homosexuality. I heard that they changed the name to David for the TV show because "Bruce Banner" sounded too comic-bookish, although I must admit I don't see how they got that idea. Stan Lee liked using alliterative names for his characters (Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, Reed Richards, etc.) because it made it easier for him to remember their names. Although, they did mistakenly call him "Peter Palmer" in the first Spider-Man story, so it wasn't the most effective memory technique.

[@henkbarnard1553]

The only Bruce I know is Australian.