Explore the Family Name Bryce

The meaning of Bryce

English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Brice, probably Celtic (Gaulish) in origin but not firmly explained, which was Latinized as Bricius. It became popular in France through the cult of the 5th-century Saint Brice, successor of Saint Martin as Bishop of Tours, and was introduced to England and Scotland by the Normans. See also Bryson.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bryce in the United States?

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bryce saw a minor decrease in rank between 2000 and 2010, falling from 6,918 to 7,001. This represents a slight drop of 1.2%. However, the actual count of individuals carrying the Bryce surname increased by roughly 7% during the same period, moving from 4,475 to 4,785. The proportion of those with the Bryce surname per 100,000 people also experienced a modest decline of 2.41%, dropping from 1.66 to 1.62.

20002010Change
Rank#6,918#7,001-1.2%
Count4,4754,7856.93%
Proportion per 100k1.661.62-2.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bryce

The ethnic identity associated with the Bryce surname has seen some shifts as well, according to Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled from 0.56% to 1.17%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a markedly high increase of 91.18%, though still representing a small overall proportion (from 0.34% to 0.65%). Those identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable at around 2%, while the Hispanic representation rose significantly by 49.52%, from 2.08% to 3.11%. The percentage of individuals identifying as Black with the Bryce surname slightly increased from 12.49% to 13.12%. However, the largest demographic, White, experienced a slight decrease of 3.33%, yet it still made up the majority at 79.73% in 2010.

20002010Change
White82.48%79.73%-3.33%
Black12.49%13.12%5.04%
Hispanic2.08%3.11%49.52%
Two or More Races2.06%2.22%7.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.56%1.17%108.93%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.34%0.65%91.18%

Bryce ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bryce is British & Irish, which comprises 55.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.5%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish55.0%
French & German18.5%
Eastern European4.7%
Other21.8%
Bryce

Possible origins of the surname Bryce

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bryce have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom89.80%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom89.80%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom89.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom89.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom89.10%

What Bryce haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bryce is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z190 and R-L1, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sewell, Rees, Humphreys, Oliver, Morgan, Price, Lacey, Johnstone, Hilliard, Hutchison.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bryce surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

brycePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bryce have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bryce

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bryce" Surname 36.4%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bryce

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bryce" Surname 34.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bryce

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bryce" Surname 25.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bryce

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bryce" Surname 16.5%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bryce?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bryce are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%