Bryce

What does Bryce mean?

Bryce is a variant of Brice, a name traced through Latin Bricius to a probably Gaulish name meaning “speckled.” The proposed meaning belongs to that older name family, whose history reaches back to late antiquity.

Modern associations include Bryce Canyon and actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard. The spelling has been used for both boys and girls, with a particularly strong American boys' peak around 2000.

The Brice connection

Brice developed from Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Gaulish personal name. The fifth-century Saint Brice, a disciple of Saint Martin of Tours, gave the name an early Christian association.

Bryce preserves the same English pronunciation with a different spelling. French Brice has a different vowel sound, illustrating how the related forms developed within separate spoken traditions.

The older connection with Brice explains the personal name independently of the American landscape that now shares its spelling.

How Bryce Canyon received its name

Bryce Canyon's name comes from the family name of Ebenezer Bryce. He and his family arrived at Clifton in southern Utah in 1875 and soon moved upstream to Henderson Valley.

Bryce helped build irrigation works and made a road into the pink cliffs to reach timber. People began calling the amphitheater at the end of that road Bryce's Canyon.

The family moved to Arizona in 1880, but the name remained. This geographical association gives Bryce a recognizable American setting, while the first name itself also belongs to the older Brice naming tradition.

Bryce Dallas Howard behind the camera

Bryce Dallas Howard gives the name a prominent contemporary bearer. Alongside her acting career, she has directed several episodes of Star Wars television.

Her work on The Mandalorian includes Sanctuary, The Heiress, and Guns for Hire. Those episodes range from protecting a village against raiders to the introduction of Bo-Katan Kryze in live action.

Howard also directed Return of the Mandalorian for The Book of Boba Fett. Her career connects Bryce with both screen performance and the collaborative work of directing, giving the name an association beyond the canyon landscape.

Pronunciation and spelling

Bryce is pronounced BRYSE, with one syllable, rhyming with ice. Brice has the same usual English pronunciation.

The y spelling gives Bryce a different written appearance without adding another syllable. Bricius is the older Latinized form behind the family, rather than a longer modern name required for someone called Bryce.

Bryce in the United States

For American boys, Bryce reached its largest annual count and best rank in 2000, with 4,319 babies and a position of No. 92. It ranked No. 357 in 2025.

Girls' use peaked in 1998, with 163 babies and a best rank of No. 1,155. It ranked No. 2,369 for girls in 2025.

How popular is Bryce?

In 2025, Bryce ranked #357 among boys in the United States, with 919 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1908; its largest annual count was 4,319 in 2000. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.