UK name, mostly boys
Bryce
From the French surname meaning "speckled or freckled brown".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Bryce is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Bryce popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2088, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 49 births.
This profile covers 713 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,094 living people in the UK are called Bryce. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Bryce ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 49 boys were registered as Bryce.
- • Bryce ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 2007.
- • About 1,094 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bryce as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.5% of Bryce registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2088
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2005
49 births
Estimated living
1,094
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Bryce
In England and Wales birth records, Bryce has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 96.5% of registrations are for boys and 3.5% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Bryce registered for boys
- Ranked #2,088 in 2024
- 11 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2005 (49 births)
Bryce registered for girls
- Ranked #5,891 in 2024
- 3 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (5 births)
Meaning
What does Bryce mean?
Bryce is a given name of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word 'bréac', meaning 'speckled' or 'freckled'. The name was initially used as a surname, referring to someone with a freckled complexion or someone from a place with a speckled or mottled landscape.
The earliest recorded use of Bryce as a given name dates back to the 12th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Bryce of Arbroath, a Scottish cleric and diplomat who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was instrumental in negotiating the Treaty of Perth in 1219, which resolved a long-standing dispute between Scotland and England.
Bryce gained popularity as a given name during the Middle Ages, particularly in Scotland and Northern England. It was often associated with nobility and landowners, as it was common for families to adopt surnames derived from physical characteristics or geographic features of their lands.
In the 16th century, Bryce Douglas, a Scottish nobleman and military leader, played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. He was a staunch supporter of Protestant causes and fought against the Catholic forces of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The name Bryce also appears in literary works, such as the novel "The Fortunes of Nigel" by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1822. In the novel, one of the characters is named Bryce Snailsfoot, a young Scotsman who travels to London and becomes involved in the intrigues of the court.
Other notable individuals named Bryce throughout history include Bryce Harlow (1916-1987), an American political advisor who served as a White House staff member under several US presidents, and Bryce Dessner (born 1976), an American composer and guitarist best known as a member of the rock band The National.
Bryce has remained a popular name in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While its usage has fluctuated over time, the name has maintained its Scottish roots and associations with strength, nobility, and a connection to the natural world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Bryce over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Bryce in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Bryce, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 49 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bryce by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bryce was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1868 | 63 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1397 | 199 | 10 |
| 2000s | #711 | 338 | 10 |
| 1990s | #611 | 113 | 4 |
Geography
Where Bryce is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bryce. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Bryce ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #315 in 2007.
Across the UK
Bryce in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
48 years of NRS records, 385 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#315 in 2007
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Bryce
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Bryce: questions and answers
How popular is the name Bryce in the UK right now?
In 2024, Bryce was ranked #2088 for boys in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Bryce most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 49 babies registered as Bryce in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Bryce?
From the French surname meaning "speckled or freckled brown".
How many people are called Bryce in the UK?
A total of 713 babies have been registered as Bryce across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 385 more in Scotland and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Bryce most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Bryce ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #315 in 2007. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.