How common is the surname Bryson?

18,486 people in the United States had the surname Bryson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 16,702 Americans. It ranked 1,954th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Bryson?

Bill Bryson, American-British author (born 1951), followed by Peabo Bryson.

Where is the surname Bryson most common?

Wikidata records people named Bryson in the United States.

How do you pronounce Bryson?

Bryson is /ˈbɹaɪsən/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Bryson getting more or less common?

More common. 17,680 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 18,486 in 2010, up 4.6%.

Is Bryson also a first name?

Yes. Bryson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Bryson

A patronymic surname, carried by 18,486 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈbɹaɪsən/ 2 syllables Soundex B625 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Bryson is more common than 98.8% of them.

Origin

From Brice + -son.

Bryson is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 18,486 people named Bryson in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 16,702 Americans. That is up 4.6% since 2000, when the Census counted 17,680.

#1,954

rank among US surnames

18,486

people in 2010

6.3

per 100,000 Americans

+4.6%

change since 2000 (was #1,867)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,945	Queen	18,557	16,638
#1,946	Ledford	18,532	16,660
#1,947	Allred	18,526	16,666
#1,948	Bledsoe	18,510	16,680
#1,949	Rhoades	18,508	16,682
#1,950	Ricks	18,506	16,684
#1,951	Spicer	18,501	16,688

Who is named Bryson

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

77% of people named Bryson identified as white (not Hispanic), 17% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.5% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 77%
Black (not Hispanic) 17%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5%
Two or more races 2.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.5%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Brysons

5 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Bill Bryson
American-British author (born 1951)
Peabo Bryson
American singer (1951–2026)
John Bryson
American businessman (1943–2025)
Winifred Bryson
Actress (1892-1987)
Jeanie Bryson
American singer, 1958–2026

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Bryson

Bryson has the Soundex code B625, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code B625.

Questions

Where does the surname Bryson come from?: From Brice + -son.
How common is the surname Bryson?: 18,486 people in the United States had the surname Bryson in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 16,702 Americans. It ranked 1,954th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Bryson?: In the 2010 Census, 77% of people named Bryson identified as white (not Hispanic), and 17% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Bryson?: Bill Bryson, American-British author (born 1951), followed by Peabo Bryson.
Where is the surname Bryson most common?: Wikidata records people named Bryson in the United States.
How do you pronounce Bryson?: Bryson is /ˈbɹaɪsən/, 2 syllables.
What type of surname is Bryson?: Bryson is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Bryson getting more or less common?: More common. 17,680 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 18,486 in 2010, up 4.6%.
Is Bryson also a first name?: Yes. Bryson is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.