How to say it
BRY · son
/ˈbraɪ.sən/
Masculine
Bryson
Son of Brice
What it means
Welsh surname meaning 'son of Brice' (Brice being a Welsh form of Brittonic Briccus, possibly 'speckled'). Bryson DeChambeau (PGA golfer) and Bill Bryson (the travel writer, Bryson as surname) anchor the modern usage.
Bryson is a Welsh surname meaning 'son of Brice.' The personal name Brice came from a Brittonic root Briccus, possibly meaning 'speckled' or 'freckled.' Saint Brice was a 5th-century Bishop of Tours who succeeded Saint Martin. The surname has been used in Wales and the American South for centuries. Bill Bryson (the American-British travel writer, A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island) is the strongest English-language anchor (Bryson as surname). PGA golfer Bryson DeChambeau is the modern first-name reference. As a first name Bryson surged in the US in the 1990s and 2000s. It's been in the US top 200 since 2003.
Popularity over time
peaked at #86 in 2017, currently #152 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Bill Bryson the travel writer (A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island) is the strongest cultural anchor; Bryson DeChambeau the PGA golfer is the modern first-name reference.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Bill Bryson American-British travel writer, A Walk in the Woods (Bryson as surname)
- Bryson DeChambeau American PGA golfer, two-time US Open champion
Spelling variants
- Brycen
- Brysen
Names with the same feeling
See Bryson from another angle
By style