Explore the Family Name Bice

The meaning of Bice

1. Americanized form of Dutch and Flemish Buys or Dutch Buis. 2. Americanized form of German Beiss (or of some other like-sounding surname), a variant of Beitz 2. 3. English (Cornwall): variant of Boyce.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bice in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Bice saw a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 4,795th most popular surname and by 2010, it slipped down to 5,117th place, reflecting a change of -6.72%. Despite this dip in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the Bice surname increased by 1.63%, growing from 6,731 in 2000 to 6,841 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of the Bice surname per 100,000 people decreased by 7.2% during the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#4,795#5,117-6.72%
Count6,7316,8411.63%
Proportion per 100k2.52.32-7.2%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bice

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Bice surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows a predominantly White demographic, although there were shifts among other ethnic groups between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Whites declined from 94.22% to 93.01%, marking a -1.28% change. Meanwhile, the Asian/Pacific Islander representation grew by an impressive 70.97%, albeit still relatively small at 0.53% in 2010. People identifying as having two or more races went up by 36.81%, and those in the Hispanic community increased by 23.4%. Black representation also rose slightly by 3.33%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native segment experienced an 8.54% growth.

20002010Change
White94.22%93.01%-1.28%
Two or More Races1.44%1.97%36.81%
Black1.8%1.86%3.33%
Hispanic1.41%1.74%23.4%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.82%0.89%8.54%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.31%0.53%70.97%

Bice ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bice is British & Irish, which comprises 56.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.6%) and Eastern European (5.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.

Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe

ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish56.4%
French & German25.6%
Eastern European5.1%
Other12.9%
Bice

Possible origins of the surname Bice

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bice have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom95.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom95.00%
South Yorkshire, United Kingdom94.30%
Lancashire, United Kingdom92.90%
Belfast, United Kingdom92.90%

What Bice haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bice is I-PF3892, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-PF3892 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include I-M438 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Burrow, Alt, Gerber, Basso, Vail, Houck, Boyce, Butz, Dukes, Freeman.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bice surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

bicePaternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Bice have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Bice

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Bice" Surname 44.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Bice

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Bice" Surname 35.9%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Bice

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Bice" Surname 14.5%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Bice

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Bice" Surname 23.6%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Bice?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bice are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%