Cousin Pearl in the Bryson Bunch supplied the following:

The Bryson Name:

Variations of the name are: Bricen, Brison, Brisson, Bruson, Bryceson, Brydeson, & Bryson. In England the name was Brison, while in North Carolina the spelling was Bryson.

History:

The name is French & was originally "Brisson". The family was French Huguenot and at the time of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1512, our ancestors escaped from France to North Ireland. They went to County Antrim that had been settled by English & Scottish Protestants of Ulster.

About 350 B.C., there lived a Greek philosopher, Bryson (sometimes Bryson but always with the characteristic Bry), who taught mathematics to Plato.

Bryson Coat Of Arms: "Creighton hue, a salfire between two spars, rowels in Fess, a spearhead in chief or a crescent in base on crest; a hand holding a cowhorn motto 'Ever Ready'." The same crest, ship under full sail "God with my right". Gurl, red. The background of salfire, argent presents the cross of St. Andrew in silver fess. In the center point of the shield a spearhead in chief, clef in upper part of shield, crescent halfmoon in gold in crown of shield. [Reference taken from Armory of England, Scotland & Ireland by Burke.]