Explore the Family Name Rice
The meaning of Rice
1. Welsh: Anglicized pronunciation of one of the most common Welsh personal names, Rhys, from a form originally meaning ‘rash, impetuous’, also spelled Rys and Re(e)s. See also Reese, with which it is interchangeable as a result of different Anglicized forms of the Welsh vowel y, and also compare Preece and Price. Initial R- in Welsh is voiceless and often spelled Rh-, but in English R- is voiced as in the Anglicized surnames Rees and Rice. Welsh y is a short back vowel /ɪ/. In the medieval period the English approximation of this vowel was either /i/ or /e/, lengthened to /i:/ and /e:/. Subsequent sound changes in English produced the alternative pronunciations represented in Rees, Preece and Rice, Price. The name has also been established in Ireland from an early date. 2. English: either a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a thicket (Middle English ris, rice, ris, from Old English hrīs, Old Norse hrís), or a habitational name for someone who came from a place called with this word, such as Rise (East Yorkshire). 3. English: perhaps a nickname from Middle English Rys(e) and Re(e)s which when without a preposition could derive from one or other of several Old French and Middle English words, including Anglo-Norman French ris ‘laughter, smile’, Middle English ris, res ‘stem, stalk’, in origin the same word as in 2 above, and Middle English ris, rise, rice, res, Old French ris, riz ‘rice’, perhaps a nickname for a rice dealer or a cook. 4. Americanized form of German Reis. History: The last ruler of an independent kingdom of Wales was one Rhys ap Tewder who died in 1093 unsuccessfully opposing the Norman advance.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rice in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Rice in the United States has seen a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010 according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname was ranked 169th in terms of popularity, but it fell to 184th place in 2010, marking a drop of 8.88%. However, the actual number of individuals with this surname increased slightly during this time frame, from 146,440 in 2000 to 149,500 in 2010, an increase of 2.09%. The proportion of individuals with the surname Rice per 100k people also decreased by 6.63% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #169 | #184 | -8.88% |
| Count | 146,440 | 149,500 | 2.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 54.28 | 50.68 | -6.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rice
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that there was a shift in the ethnic identity of individuals with the surname Rice between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased from 0.40% to 0.57%, a change of 42.50%. Those identifying as having two or more races increased from 1.51% to 1.99%, an increase of 31.79%. There was also a notable increase within the Hispanic community, from 1.52% to 2.33%, marking a rise of 53.29%. Meanwhile, the proportion of individuals identifying as White decreased from 79.65% to 77.63%, a downswing of 2.54%. The Black community saw a small increase from 16.26% to 16.74%, an upward change of 2.95%. Lastly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native community experienced a growth from 0.65% to 0.74%, an augmentation of 13.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.65% | 77.63% | -2.54% |
| Black | 16.26% | 16.74% | 2.95% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.33% | 53.29% |
| Two or More Races | 1.51% | 1.99% | 31.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.74% | 13.85% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.57% | 42.5% |
Rice 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 Rice is British & Irish, which comprises 51.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.8%) and Eastern European (4.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.2% |
| French & German | 24.8% |
| Eastern European | 4.4% |
| Other | 19.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Rice
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 Rice have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.10% |
What Rice 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 Rice is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and I-P109, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Gibson, Davis, Thomas, Fox, Jones, Lewis, Richards, Ellis, Williams, Harris.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Rice surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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.
What do people with the surname Rice 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Rice" Surname 40.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Rice" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Rice" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Rice" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Rice?
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 Rice are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition