[1] The original name of Brusnytsia, Barbivtsi, likely descends from the Latin word barbus, which refers to the Barbel fish species.

A popular local legend offers the alternative origin that it comes from the surname Barbir.

The village was part of Austria upon its annexation of Bukovina in 1774, and Austrian rule brought new development over the centuries, including a church and a school.

The village was part of the Kingdom of Romania during the interwar period and World War II, excluding a brief period when it was ruled by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941 following the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.

The Ukrainian Insurgent Army operated in the village during and after the war, fighting both the Romanian and Soviet governments.