Contents [hide]

Bryce History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Bryce History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Bryce

What does the name Bryce mean?

The name Bryce originated among the descendants of the ancient Pictish clans. It is derived from the Gaulish saint Bricius, a nephew of St. Martin of Tours in the 5th century. From Gaelic, the name means quick or speedy.

Early Origins of the Bryce family

The surname Bryce was first found in Morayshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, around the 12th century. The name was originally Bricius, a Gaulish Saint of the fifth century, a nephew of St. Martin of Tours.

Early History of the Bryce family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bryce research. Another 214 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1189, 1203, 1296, 1370, 1532, 1569, 1570, 1636, 1648, 1690, 1696 and 1773 are included under the topic Early Bryce History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bryce Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Bryce include Bryce, Brice, Bricius, Bryse, Breise, Bryces, Brices, Bryses, Breises, Bryse, Brise, Briece and many more.

Early Notables of the Bryce family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Bishop Bricius of Moray; Edmund Brice (fl. 1648 - 1696), an English translator and schoolmaster; Edward Brice or Bryce (1569?-1636), Scottish Presbyterian minister; and Elizabeth Brice (Amadas) (died...

Bryce Ranking

In the United States, the name Bryce is the 7,106^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Bryce family to Ireland

Some of the Bryce family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bryce migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Bryce:

Bryce Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Bryce who settled in Virginia in 1654
William Bryce, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 2
James Bryce, who settled in Virginia in 1659
Malcolm Bryce, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 2
Matthew Bryce, who landed in New Jersey in 1685 2

Bryce Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alexander, Ann, Jane, Mary, and William Bryce, who settled in New York, NY in 1774
Charles Bryce, who settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1774
Alexander Bryce, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1774 2
Ann Bryce, who landed in New York in 1774 2
Charles Bryce, aged 15, who arrived in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1774 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bryce Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nicol Bryce, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1805 2
Archibald Bryce, aged 51, who landed in New York in 1812 2
James Bryce, who arrived in Mississippi in 1816 2
John Bryce, who arrived in New York in 1827 2
Jean Bryce, who arrived in New York in 1838 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bryce migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bryce Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

James Bryce, aged 42, a farmer, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Jane Bryce, aged 47, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
James Bryce, aged 15, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Harriet Bryce, aged 13, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
Sophia Bryce, aged 13, who arrived in Quebec aboard the ship "Atlas" in 1815
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bryce migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bryce Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Helen Bryce, Scottish convict from Edinburgh, who was transported aboard the "Amphitrite" on August 21, 1833, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
James Bryce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairfield" in 1840 4
John Bryce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairfield" in 1840 4
David Bryce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairfield" in 1840 4
Isabella Bryce, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairfield" in 1840 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bryce migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bryce Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Bryce, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Bengal Merchant 5
John jun Bryce, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Bengal Merchant 5
John Bryce, aged 33, a wheelwright, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 6
Thomas Bryce, aged 12, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 6
John Bryce, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bengal Merchant" in 1840 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bryce (post 1700) +

James Wares Bryce (1880-1949), American engineer and inventor with IBM, he designed the first commercial electronic multiplier using vacuum tubes in 1946
Scott Macalister Bryce (b. 1958), American two-time Daytime Emmy Award and two-time Soap Opera Digest Award nominated actor, best known for his portrayal of Craig Montgomery on As the World Turns
William Bryce, American politician, Mayor of Canton, Ohio, 1841-42 7
W. L. Bryce, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1924 7
Lloyd Stephens Bryce (1851-1917), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from New York 7th District, 1887-89; U.S. Minister to Netherlands, 1911-13; Luxembourg, 1911-13 7
Kathleen Dowd Bryce, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1952 (alternate), 1956 7
John Bryce, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Albany County 2nd District, 1919 7
John Bryce (1784-1864), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, 1849-50 7
D. A. Bryce, American politician, Independent Candidate for Governor of Oklahoma, 1958 7
Alexander Bryce, American politician, Delegate to South Carolina State Constitutional Convention from Pickens County, 1868 7
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Bryce family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Hugh B. Bryce, American 2nd Class passenger from Syracuse, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 8
Mrs. Annabelle Bryce, American 2nd Class passenger from Syracuse, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 8
Mr. Archie Bryce, English Chief Engineer from Great Crosby, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 9

The Bryce Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fiat justitia
Motto Translation: Let justice be done.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Amphitrite voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1833 with 99 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/amphitrite/1833
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FAIRFIELD 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Fairfield.htm
Shadow Time Settlers (Retrieved 5th November 2010), retrieved from http://shadowsoftime.co.nz/settlers.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/