Bryse
A masculine name of English origin likely meaning "curly-haired" or "hazel eyes".
Name Census estimates that about 163 living Americans carry the first name Bryse. It is a predominantly male name (96.4% of registrations). The average person named Bryse today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bryse births was 1998 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bryse. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
163
~ 1 in 2,102,787 Americans
Peak year
1998
12 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2018 SSA rank
#8,264
Tracked since 1987
Gender
Gender distribution for Bryse
Bryse leans heavily male at 96.4% of total registrations, but 6 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bryse as a male name
- Ranked #8,264 in 2018
- 9 male births in 2018
- Peak: 2013 (11 births)
Bryse as a female name
- Ranked #12,697 in 1998
- 6 female births in 1998
- Peak: 1998 (6 births)
Popularity
Bryse: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bryse from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 63 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bryse by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bryse during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bryse
The given name Bryse is of uncertain origin, with its roots shrouded in mystery. While some scholars suggest it may have derived from the Old English word "bryse," meaning "to break or crush," others point to potential Celtic or Germanic influences. Despite the lack of consensus, the name has been documented in various historical records and texts over the centuries.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Bryse can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals describing the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The name appears in an entry dated around 980 AD, referring to a minor nobleman from the Kingdom of Mercia. Unfortunately, little is known about this individual beyond his name and approximate time period.
In the 12th century, a Bryse de Monmouth was recorded as a knight and landowner in the Welsh Marches. His name appears in several charters and legal documents of the time, indicating his position of relative prominence within the region.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Bryse was Bryse Whittington, a English merchant and explorer born in 1492. Whittington is credited with establishing trade routes between England and the East Indies, contributing to the expansion of British commercial interests in the region.
The 17th century saw the birth of Bryse Holbeck (1621-1698), an English politician and member of the House of Commons. Holbeck represented the borough of Scarborough and was known for his staunch support of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.
In more recent times, the name Bryse gained recognition through the life of Bryse Wilson (1923-2007), an American civil rights activist and educator. Wilson played a pivotal role in desegregating schools in the southern United States and advocating for equal educational opportunities for all children, regardless of race.
While the name Bryse may have obscure origins, its presence throughout various historical periods and across different cultures and regions is a testament to its enduring legacy. From noblemen and merchants to politicians and activists, individuals bearing this name have left an indelible mark on the annals of history.
People
Bryse + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bryse as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bryse: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bryse?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 163 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bryse going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,102,787 US residents.
Is Bryse a common name?
We classify Bryse as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 165 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bryse most popular?
The single biggest year for Bryse was 1998, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bryse is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bryse a male name?
Yes, 96.4% of people registered as Bryse in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.