NameCensus.

UK surname

Bryce

A surname of Scottish origin referring to someone who lived near a speckled or spotted place.

In the 1881 census there were 3,022 people recorded with the Bryce surname, ranking it #1,485 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,397, ranked #1,548, down from #1,485 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Babergh, Blaeberry Hill and East Whitburn and Bathgate West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bryce is 4,533 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.5%.

1881 census count

3,022

Ranked #1,485

Modern count

4,397

2016, ranked #1,548

Peak year

2010

4,533 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bryce had 3,022 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,485 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,397 in 2016, ranked #1,548.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,770 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bryce surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bryce surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bryce surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bryce over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,095 #1,388
1861 historical 2,178 #1,346
1881 historical 3,022 #1,485
1891 historical 3,223 #1,476
1901 historical 3,770 #1,492
1911 historical 955 #4,721
1997 modern 4,198 #1,542
1998 modern 4,319 #1,558
1999 modern 4,443 #1,533
2000 modern 4,472 #1,518
2001 modern 4,287 #1,542
2002 modern 4,422 #1,525
2003 modern 4,336 #1,521
2004 modern 4,308 #1,536
2005 modern 4,319 #1,514
2006 modern 4,292 #1,521
2007 modern 4,330 #1,528
2008 modern 4,375 #1,522
2009 modern 4,458 #1,527
2010 modern 4,533 #1,536
2011 modern 4,431 #1,545
2012 modern 4,347 #1,553
2013 modern 4,368 #1,570
2014 modern 4,419 #1,565
2015 modern 4,407 #1,552
2016 modern 4,397 #1,548

Geography

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Where Bryces are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Babergh, Blaeberry Hill and East Whitburn, Bathgate West, Forth, Braehead and Auchengray and Luncarty and Dunkeld. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Babergh 005 Babergh
2 Blaeberry Hill and East Whitburn West Lothian
3 Bathgate West West Lothian
4 Forth, Braehead and Auchengray South Lanarkshire
5 Luncarty and Dunkeld Perth and Kinross

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bryce

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bryce surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bryce

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bryce, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Bryce surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bryce household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bryce is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bryce is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bryce falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bryce is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bryce, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bryce

The surname Bryce is of Scottish origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be a territorial name derived from the lands of Brice or Bryce in Moray, Scotland. The name may have originated from the Gaelic word "bris," meaning "broken."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bryce is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, which mention a person named William de Bris. The name is also found in various other Scottish records from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which contain the name John de Brys.

The surname Bryce is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Bryce, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

In the 16th century, James Bryce (c. 1510-1592) was a Scottish scholar and philosopher who served as the Regent of the University of St. Andrews. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation and played a significant role in the development of Protestant theology in Scotland.

Another notable bearer of the name was James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce (1838-1922), a British academic, jurist, and politician. He served as the British Ambassador to the United States from 1907 to 1913 and was a strong advocate for international cooperation and peace.

In the field of literature, Colette Bryce (born 1970) is a Northern Irish poet and novelist who has won numerous awards for her work, including the Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize and the Cholmondeley Award.

The surname Bryce has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Bryce's Farm in Aberdeenshire and Bryce's Hill in Moray. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Bryce who owned or lived in these areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bryce families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bryce surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,002 Bryces recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.60x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,002 10.60x
Midlothian 433 11.06x
Renfrewshire 183 8.08x
Ayrshire 179 8.18x
West Lothian 172 39.07x
Stirlingshire 166 15.39x
Lancashire 154 0.44x
Perthshire 77 5.87x
Middlesex 73 0.25x
Dunbartonshire 57 7.26x
Fife 56 3.24x
Staffordshire 46 0.47x
Surrey 41 0.29x
Durham 40 0.46x
Aberdeenshire 31 1.14x
Northumberland 31 0.71x
Yorkshire 26 0.09x
Cumberland 25 0.99x
Kent 21 0.21x
Argyllshire 19 2.33x
Angus 16 0.59x
Wigtownshire 15 3.86x
Berwickshire 13 3.67x
Essex 12 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 10 2.36x
Cheshire 9 0.14x
Clackmannanshire 9 3.73x
Warwickshire 9 0.12x
Kinross-shire 8 10.83x
Worcestershire 7 0.18x
Devon 6 0.10x
Sussex 6 0.12x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.77x
Hampshire 5 0.08x
Peeblesshire 5 3.64x
Roxburghshire 4 0.76x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.16x
Norfolk 3 0.07x
Buteshire 2 1.13x
Cornwall 2 0.06x
Inverness-shire 2 0.23x
Lincolnshire 2 0.04x
Oxfordshire 2 0.11x
Westmorland 2 0.31x
Dorset 1 0.05x
East Lothian 1 0.26x
Monmouthshire 1 0.05x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Royal Navy 1 0.29x
Selkirkshire 1 0.38x
Somerset 1 0.02x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 210 Bryces recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.98x.

Place Total Index
Govan 210 8.98x
Barony 157 6.56x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 115 7.30x
Glasgow 98 5.84x
Old Monkland 73 19.46x
New Monkland 66 23.61x
Lanark 60 78.86x
Whitburn 59 92.75x
Bothwell 42 16.38x
Paisley Middle Church 40 30.32x
West Calder 39 50.52x
Cambusnethan 37 17.62x
Falkirk 35 13.87x
Bathgate 32 33.48x
Kingswinford 32 8.93x
Colinton 31 70.99x
Dalziel 30 29.49x
Auckinleck 28 41.34x
Beith 28 42.89x
South Leith 27 6.13x
Carnwath 26 44.47x
East Greenock 26 12.15x
Hamilton 26 9.86x
Carluke 25 29.12x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 24 4.74x
Hackney London 24 1.46x
Maybole 23 34.52x
Muiravonside 23 83.97x
Edinburgh Canongate 22 22.07x
Middle Greenock 22 35.58x
Rutherglen 22 15.86x
Kilsyth 21 30.55x
Renfrew 21 28.07x
Shettleston 21 24.81x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 20 5.31x
Ratho 20 109.53x
Dunfermline 19 7.14x
Lasswade 18 20.10x
Polmont 18 45.21x
Shotts 18 15.91x
Uphall 18 37.17x
West Greenock 17 4.18x
Edinburgh St Georges 16 19.69x
Bonhill 14 11.10x
Corstorphine 14 64.78x
Eastwood 14 10.03x
Edinburgh St Stephens 14 18.16x
Glencorse 14 93.09x
Linlithgow 14 24.80x
Livingstone 14 93.21x
North Leith 14 7.72x
Abbey 13 3.76x
Battersea 13 1.21x
Edinburgh Tron Church 13 70.84x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 13 5.00x
Paisley High Church 13 7.21x
Sorbie 13 76.61x
Torphichen 13 84.80x
Halliwell 12 9.51x
Kirkcaldy 12 13.98x
Kirkliston 12 46.73x
Larbert 12 18.62x
Largs 12 23.28x
Muirkirk 12 23.36x
Neilston 12 10.55x
Stirling 12 8.83x
West Ham 12 0.94x
Crieff 11 22.54x
Crosscanonby 11 13.21x
Dunblane 11 35.03x
Lesmahagow 11 11.00x
Libberton 11 175.44x
Perth East Church 11 8.89x
St Ninians 11 10.29x
St Pancras London 11 0.47x
Currie 10 41.70x
Dalmellington 10 15.54x
Edinburgh New North 10 29.33x
Kirkdale 10 1.71x
New Kilpatrick 10 13.38x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bryce surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bryce surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 45
James 42
William 34
George 15
Thomas 13
David 11
Charles 10
Robert 10
Andrew 7
Alexander 6
Richard 5
Albert 4
Henry 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Hugh 3
Archibald 2
Augustus 2
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Walter 2
Alexr 1
Basil 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
Ebenzer 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Howard 1
Isaac 1
J. 1
Jas.Atherton 1
Job 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Ralph 1
Robt. 1
Ronald 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Thos.Alfd. 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Bryce surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bryce surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,022 people were recorded with the Bryce surname. That placed it at #1,485 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bryce surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,397 in 2016. That gives Bryce a modern rank of #1,548.

What does the Bryce surname mean?

A surname of Scottish origin referring to someone who lived near a speckled or spotted place.

What does the Bryce map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bryce bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.