NameCensus.

UK surname

Rice

An English occupational surname referring to someone who harvested, sold, or processed rice.

In the 1881 census there were 9,235 people recorded with the Rice surname, ranking it #459 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,844, ranked #461, down from #459 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, Whitfield and Lochee.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rice is 14,499 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.9%.

1881 census count

9,235

Ranked #459

Modern count

13,844

2016, ranked #461

Peak year

1999

14,499 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rice had 9,235 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #459 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,844 in 2016, ranked #461.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,607 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Rice surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rice surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rice surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rice over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5,982 #463
1861 historical 6,651 #419
1881 historical 9,235 #459
1891 historical 9,821 #447
1901 historical 11,444 #457
1911 historical 11,607 #424
1997 modern 14,025 #432
1998 modern 14,384 #437
1999 modern 14,499 #439
2000 modern 14,310 #442
2001 modern 13,930 #443
2002 modern 14,234 #444
2003 modern 13,784 #446
2004 modern 13,668 #450
2005 modern 13,405 #454
2006 modern 13,466 #454
2007 modern 13,594 #451
2008 modern 13,656 #452
2009 modern 13,991 #452
2010 modern 14,180 #455
2011 modern 13,859 #460
2012 modern 13,738 #453
2013 modern 14,087 #452
2014 modern 14,108 #458
2015 modern 13,930 #459
2016 modern 13,844 #461

Geography

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Where Rices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, Whitfield, Lochee and Carmarthenshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 010 Mid Devon
2 Whitfield Dundee City
3 Mid Devon 011 Mid Devon
4 Lochee Dundee City
5 Carmarthenshire 007 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rice

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rice surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rice

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rice, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Rice surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Rice household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rice is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rice is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rice falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rice is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rice, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rice

The surname Rice is of English and Irish origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ryge," meaning "rye," which was a type of cereal grain crop. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who grew or dealt in rye.

In England, the surname Rice can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Ris" and "Rise." This suggests that the name was already established in parts of England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Rice in Ireland date back to the 13th century, when it was spelled as "Rys" or "Ryse." It is believed that the name was introduced to Ireland by English settlers during the Norman invasion and subsequent colonization efforts.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Rice was Sir Edmund Rice (1638-1711), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in England. Another prominent individual was Sir Ralph Rice (1647-1727), an English judge and member of Parliament.

In the United States, the surname Rice can be traced back to the 17th century, with early settlers such as Edmund Rice (1594-1663), who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 and is considered the progenitor of the Rice family in America.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rice include Anne Rice (1941-2021), the famous American author known for her gothic fiction and the "Vampire Chronicles" series, and Condoleezza Rice (born 1954), the former United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor.

The surname Rice has also been associated with various place names, such as Rice Lake in Ontario, Canada, and Rice County in Minnesota, United States, which were likely named after individuals bearing the surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rice families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rice surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 1,114 Rices recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,114 1.23x
Lancashire 901 0.84x
Devon 895 4.74x
Surrey 639 1.45x
Essex 337 1.88x
Somerset 325 2.23x
Derbyshire 315 2.22x
Gloucestershire 302 1.70x
Lanarkshire 294 1.00x
Norfolk 277 1.99x
Suffolk 277 2.51x
Hampshire 268 1.44x
Warwickshire 236 1.03x
Yorkshire 236 0.26x
Sussex 228 1.49x
Kent 213 0.69x
Northamptonshire 209 2.45x
Staffordshire 161 0.53x
Durham 144 0.53x
Glamorgan 135 0.85x
Cornwall 132 1.29x
Nottinghamshire 119 0.97x
Cheshire 112 0.56x
Leicestershire 102 1.01x
Wiltshire 95 1.18x
Renfrewshire 93 1.32x
Dorset 80 1.34x
Northumberland 79 0.59x
Cumberland 75 0.96x
Worcestershire 73 0.62x
Lincolnshire 72 0.50x
Ayrshire 63 0.93x
Midlothian 55 0.45x
Berkshire 45 0.66x
Hertfordshire 41 0.66x
Wigtownshire 39 3.24x
Aberdeenshire 36 0.43x
Angus 36 0.43x
Isle of Man 34 2.02x
Dunbartonshire 32 1.31x
Royal Navy 29 2.68x
Buckinghamshire 28 0.51x
Bedfordshire 27 0.57x
Radnorshire 27 3.69x
Oxfordshire 25 0.45x
Ross-shire 25 1.00x
Brecknockshire 20 1.10x
Cambridgeshire 18 0.31x
Monmouthshire 16 0.24x
Shropshire 14 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 13 0.35x
Cardiganshire 12 0.54x
Herefordshire 12 0.32x
West Lothian 11 0.81x
Denbighshire 10 0.29x
Flintshire 8 0.33x
Perthshire 8 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 7 0.24x
Channel Islands 6 0.22x
Fife 6 0.11x
Huntingdonshire 6 0.33x
Inverness-shire 6 0.22x
Stirlingshire 6 0.18x
Anglesey 5 0.31x
Merionethshire 5 0.30x
Buteshire 4 0.73x
Dumfriesshire 4 0.20x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.30x
Orkney 4 0.40x
Roxburghshire 4 0.24x
Westmorland 3 0.15x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.03x
East Lothian 1 0.08x
Peeblesshire 1 0.23x
Rutland 1 0.15x
Shetland 1 0.11x
Sutherland 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 196 Rices recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.00x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 196 3.00x
Islington London 131 1.49x
St Pancras London 119 1.63x
Lambeth 92 1.16x
Aston 88 1.40x
Toxteth Park 86 2.36x
Worth 82 73.85x
West Ham 75 1.90x
Barony 73 0.98x
Newington 71 2.12x
Shoreditch London 67 1.70x
West Derby 65 2.06x
Bethnal Green London 64 1.62x
Croydon 58 2.36x
Glasgow 58 1.11x
Battersea 55 1.65x
Bermondsey 55 2.04x
St Marylebone London 55 1.14x
Wellingborough 55 12.82x
Portsea 54 1.48x
Kirkdale 53 2.93x
Nottingham St Mary 53 1.68x
Camberwell 52 0.90x
Tollesbury 51 113.76x
Birmingham 49 0.64x
Govan 49 0.68x
Bedminster 46 3.35x
Swansea Town 46 3.55x
Sherston Magna 43 88.95x
Birkenhead 41 2.57x
Ilkeston 41 10.30x
Tormoham 41 5.13x
Morchard Bishop 40 101.52x
St George Hanover 40 3.38x
Kensington London 39 0.77x
Mile End Old Town 39 2.72x
Hackney London 38 0.75x
Manchester 38 0.79x
St Luke London 38 2.61x
Glastonbury 37 31.05x
Tewkesbury 37 23.31x
Burton Upon Trent 36 5.03x
Leicester St Margaret 36 1.47x
Derby St Werburgh 35 4.27x
Assington 34 147.19x
Everton 34 0.99x
Chelsea London 32 1.17x
Lamerton 32 89.16x
Wolverhampton 32 1.36x
Westminster St 30 8.97x
Belper 29 10.53x
Stoke Damerel 29 2.19x
Wollaston 29 61.82x
Deptford St Paul 28 1.17x
Great Yarmouth 28 2.42x
Old Monkland 28 2.41x
Plymouth St Andrew 28 1.93x
Royal Navy 28 3.03x
Bootle Cum Linacre 27 3.16x
Heigham 27 3.61x
Paddington London 27 0.81x
Tottenham 27 1.87x
Brighton 26 0.84x
Dundee 26 0.83x
Maryhill 26 4.53x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 25 1.49x
Horsley 25 29.26x
Roath 25 3.49x
Cheltenham 24 1.75x
Diss 24 20.08x
East Greenock 24 3.62x
Eastwood 24 5.54x
Mellis 24 163.04x
Poplar London 24 1.40x
Reading St Mary 24 4.40x
South Hamlet 24 21.81x
Barnstaple 23 7.76x
Greenwich 22 1.52x
Southwark St George Martyr 22 1.21x
St George Bloomsbury 22 4.23x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rice surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 595
Elizabeth 353
Sarah 289
Ann 159
Ellen 147
Eliza 146
Emma 141
Alice 135
Jane 134
Annie 121
Emily 105
Margaret 77
Louisa 67
Harriet 65
Charlotte 64
Catherine 59
Edith 59
Hannah 58
Maria 58
Martha 55
Florence 53
Susan 46
Fanny 40
Ada 39
Caroline 38
Kate 36
Lucy 36
Frances 33
Harriett 33
Agnes 32
Anne 30
Rose 29
Amelia 26
Julia 26
Clara 23
Rebecca 23
Matilda 21
Sophia 20
Eleanor 19
Esther 19
Isabella 19
Jessie 19
Lydia 17
Anna 16
Bessie 16
Elizth. 16
Amy 15
Bridget 15
Rosa 15
Susannah 15

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rice surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 517
John 499
George 303
James 281
Thomas 272
Henry 201
Charles 166
Joseph 116
Edward 111
Samuel 90
Frederick 89
Richard 86
Arthur 85
Alfred 83
Robert 81
Walter 73
Albert 68
Harry 64
Patrick 44
Michael 38
Frank 36
Francis 31
Peter 31
Ernest 30
David 27
Wm. 25
Herbert 24
Benjamin 23
Edwin 23
Daniel 22
Fred 18
Stephen 16
Thos. 16
Fredk. 15
Hugh 15
Fredrick 14
Bernard 13
Isaac 13
Matthew 13
Owen 11
Philip 11
Geo. 10
Sidney 10
Edmund 9
Percy 8
Andrew 7
Christopher 7
Evan 7
Jacob 7
Martin 7

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Rice households.

FAQ

Rice surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rice surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,235 people were recorded with the Rice surname. That placed it at #459 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rice surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,844 in 2016. That gives Rice a modern rank of #461.

What does the Rice surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to someone who harvested, sold, or processed rice.

What does the Rice map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rice bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.