Surname Pruns - Meaning and Origin

Pruns: What does the surname Pruns mean?

The surname Pruns is a German name originating during the Middle Ages. While its exact meaning has been lost to time, scholars speculate that the word is derived from the Middle High German word ‘prun’ meaning 'plum'. As such, the name may have originally indicated someone who grew, farmed, or sold plums.

Due to the destruction of many records during the Thirty Years War, early Pruns’ family origins are difficult to discern. Some Prunses are believed to have lived in the Middle Rhineland area of Germany and some likely migrated over time to other parts of Europe.

The Pruns name spread even wider during the 18th and 19th centuries as increasing numbers of German citizens chose to immigrate to the United States, Australia, and other parts of the world. This migration is thought to have driven the Pruns family name even further afield.

Today, Pruns is a relatively common surname in many parts of the world. Notable people with the Pruns name include German actor Bernhard Pruns and early American film producer Emile Pruns. There is as yet no Coat of Arms or crest associated with the Pruns name.

Pruns: Where does the name Pruns come from?

The last name Pruns is most commonly found in Belgium, France, parts of Germany, and the United States.

In Belgium, Pruns is most prevalent in the Flanders region, in the north. It is thought to be a toponymic name, derived from the French "prunier" or "plum tree."

In France, the surname is also quite common. It is especially well-represented in the Nord and Gard regions of the country.

In the United States, Pruns is found in all states, but its concentration is highest in Wisconsin, Illinois, California, and New York. The majority of them are believed to be descendants of Belgian or French settlers who immigrated during the 19th century.

In Germany, Pruns is less common than in other countries, but it is still represented in various parts of the nation. For example, there are a few families living in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Hessen today.

Overall, the surname Pruns is distributed widely across Europe and North America. It is likely to become even more common in the future, as more and more people become interested in their family history and more Pruns families choose to move abroad.

Variations of the surname Pruns

The surname Pruns is a name of German origin. It is one of the countless surnames derived from the personal name Brune, which was derived from the Old Germanic bruna. The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Pruns can be broken down into two categories, namely, the original Germanic form, which includes the variant spellings Brun, Brune, and Bruhn, as well as the surnames Prun, Pruns, Pruhn, Prunswick, Prownton, Brunsden, Brunses, Brunssel, Prunsel, Pruense, Pruenzel, and Prohn.

The Germanic surname Pruns is derived from the Germanic personal name, ‘Bruno’. The earliest known forms of the name in Germany were ‘Brun’ and ‘Brune’, with ‘Bruno’ being the later form. The variant spellings of Pruns, such as ‘Prun’, ‘Pruhn’, ‘Brunes’, and ‘Pruenzel’, are a direct result of German dialects and their regional pronunciations.

In addition to those listed above, the English surnames of ‘Brunson’, ‘Brownson’, and ‘Bronson’ are thought to have been derived from the German ‘Brun’, making them derived surnames of the same origin as Pruns.

In the US, Pruns is often seen in its simplified forms of ‘Prune’ or ‘Pruneau’. These forms are often found in the US census records since the 1790s.

Surnames derived from the Germanic name ‘Brun’ are generally considered to denote someone with a fair to dark complexion. They are typically German or Dutch in origin and the people who bear these surnames are widespread throughout the German-speaking countries, including parts of the US and Canada.

Famous people with the name Pruns

• David Pruns: former professional baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball from 2000 to 2003.
• Manuel Pruns: Spanish former professional cyclist, who competed in the Tour de France sixteen times, where he achieved several top-10 placings.
• Jose Pruns: Spanish former Paralympic athlete, specialising in middle distance running. He competed at three Paralympics, winning multiple medals over 1500 and 5000 metres.
• Nathan Pruns: Swiss professional racing cyclist, participant in the Tour de France of 2012 and the UCI Road World Championships of 2010.
• Ingrid Pruns: Belgian gymnast, who won a bronze medal in the vault at the UEG European Junior Championships in 2012.
• Ferdinand Pruns: German writer and cultural historian of Lithuanian and German heritage.
• Adela Pruns: Romanian former competitive figure skater, who represented her country internationally between 1992 and 2000, winning six national titles.
• Olga Pruns: Latvian artist, specializing in sculpture and painting, exhibiting her work across Latvia and other countries.
• Natalie Pruns: German defensive handball player, captain of the TSV Haunwöhrt-Egelsbach team and winner of the Portuguese League Cup.
• Daniel Pruns: Puerto Rican former Paralympic swimmer and world record holder in the 4 x 50 metres freestyle relay.

Other surnames

PrunerPrunhuberPruntoPruntochPrunty