Bryce

♂ Boy

Pronounced BRYS /bɹaɪs/High

Meaning: From the Scottish Gaelic 'Bricius' or possibly from Celtic 'brig' (high, strong). Saint Brice of Tours connected the name to the Brythonic root for 'speckled' or possibly 'high one'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Bryce is a strong one-syllable Scottish name connected to a Gaulish saint and a spectacular canyon in Utah. Clean, modern, and unpretentious, it has been a quiet American favorite since the 1990s.

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Origin MediumScottish Gaelic

MeaningFrom the Scottish Gaelic 'Bricius' or possibly from Celtic 'brig' (high, strong). Saint Brice of Tours connected the name to the Brythonic root for 'speckled' or possibly 'high one'.

U.S. rank (2025)#357 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births919 boys (0.05% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2000

Total births (all-time)≈ 124,088

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

The name Bryce derives from Saint Brice (Brictius) of Tours, a fifth-century bishop and pupil of Saint Martin of Tours, who succeeded Martin as Bishop of Tours in 397 CE. The name Brice is thought to come from a Gaulish or Celtic root — possibly related to brig (high) or a word meaning speckled. The name became common in Scotland as Bryce.

Bryce has been used as a given name in Scotland and the United States since the nineteenth century. In the US, it gained steady popularity from the 1990s onward, benefiting from the trend toward one-syllable masculine names. Bryce Harper, the professional baseball player, has maintained the name's visibility in American sports culture. Bryce Canyon, a major US national park, provides an additional cultural anchor.

Did you know? Bryce Canyon in Utah is named after Ebenezer Bryce, a Scottish-American settler who grazed cattle there in the 1870s and reportedly said of the canyon: 'It's a hell of a place to lose a cow' — one of the most memorably understated descriptions of a national park landmark.

Overall data confidence 80%

Butler's Lives of the Saints — Biography of Saint Brice of ToursSocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity history for Bryce

Variations

BriceBryson

Nicknames

Bry

Famous Bearers

★Bryce Harper (1992–)
American MLB baseball player, two-time National League MVP and World Series champion.

If you like Bryce…

Chase— one-syllable Old English surname name with the same clean, modern American masculine energy

Blake— one-syllable Old English surname name with the same understated strength

Grant— one-syllable Anglo-Saxon surname first name with the same crisp, reliable character

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bryce mean?

Bryce means 'speckled' or possibly 'high one', from a Celtic root, connected to Saint Brice of Tours.

How do you pronounce Bryce?

Bryce is pronounced BRYS (/bɹaɪs/), a single syllable rhyming with 'ice'.

Is Bryce a boy or girl name?

Bryce is predominantly a boy's name, though it occasionally appears for girls.

How popular is Bryce?

Bryce has been in the US top 100–200 boys' names since the 1990s, with consistent steady appeal.