Further, the chivalric history site for Family Bruce indicates the family originated near present day Brix (Bireux) in Normandy, between Cherbourg and Valognes. The family name was, therefore, "of" Bruis. The anglicizing of the family name (more accurately, Galicizing or Scotticizing) became "the" after their establishment in Scotland as probably a political consideration. Not unlike other famous names of the time... "Richard the Lionheart) (Couer de Lion) comes to mind. In fact King Robert's Grandfather, also by title Robert the Bruce (III) was also known as Robert the Competitor. The Robert name in the de Bruce family goes back at least to 1094...