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Show ContentsRice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

  • Origins Available:
  • Germany
  • Wales
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Etymology of Rice

What does the name Rice mean?

The origin of the proud surname Rice can be traced to the historic kingdom of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. In the Middle Ages, many of the Bohemians were a part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was characterized by the Feudal System. Before this era, people were known only by a single name. However, as the population increased and travel became more prevalent, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves. Many people, such as the Rice family, adopted the name of their feudal occupation as their surname. The name goes back to the mediaeval German "ris" or "risle," which meant literally "branch" or "twig,"and the surname was an occupational name for a wood carver.

Early Origins of the Rice family

The surname Rice was first found in Bohemia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. They later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. Chronicles first mention Clesse Reysse of Mainz in 1444, and Leonhart Reiser of Nuremberg in 1443. The name goes back to the mediaeval German "ris" or "risle," which meant literally "branch" or "twig." Reisser could also refer to a wood carver.

Early History of the Rice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rice research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1606, 1645, 1870, 1897 and 1940 are included under the topic Early Rice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rice Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Reis, Reisle (Bavaria, Swabia), Reiss, Reisse, Riess, Ries, Reise, Reisz, Reiser, Reisser, Riser, Reysse, Reys, Reyss, Rice, Ris, Risse, Rise, Risle and many more.

Early Notables of the Rice family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rice Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rice World Ranking

In the United States, the name Rice is the 146th most popular surname with an estimated 159,168 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Rice is ranked the 600th most popular surname with an estimated 8,405 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Rice is the 145th popular surname with an estimated 264 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Rice as 496th with 7,691 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Rice as 707th with 1,008 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Rice as 412nd with 15,822 people. 6

Rice migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Rice who settled in Virginia in 1622
  • Ann Rice, aged 23, who landed in Virginia in 1635 7
  • Edmund Rice (c.1594–1663), English Deacon in the Puritan Church, born in Stanstead, Suffolk, who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638
  • John Rice, who settled in Virginia in 1639
  • Richard Rice, who settled in Virginia in 1650
Rice Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Carleton Rice, who landed in Virginia in 1717 7
  • Daniel Rice, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1764 7
Rice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ally Rice, who landed in New London, Connecticut in 1811 7
  • Biddy Rice, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 7
  • Charles Rice, aged 36, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 7
  • Canlan Rice, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1816 7
  • Bridget Rice, aged 6, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rice migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rice Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • David Rice, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Benjamin Rice, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
  • Beriah Rice, who landed in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
Rice Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Rice, aged 39, a servant, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Ugoni" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Catherine Rice, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
  • Ann Rice, aged 18, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Ann & Mary" from Cork, Ireland
  • John Rice, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Mary Rice, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rice migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Rice, British convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. William Rice, (b. 1796), aged 19, English groom who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. John Rice, Canadian covict who was convicted in Kingston, Ontario, Canada for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr.Henry Rice, (b. 1793), aged 26, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Bencoolen" on 24th April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia before being transferred to Tasmania via the "Admiral Cockburn", he died in 1829 11
  • Robert Rice Mr. settled in New South Wales, Australia in 1823 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rice migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Rice, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 13
  • Mr. Michael Rice, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 14
  • Mr. Robert Rice, (b. 1836), aged 22, Irish labourer from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Strathallan" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st January 1859 15
  • Mr. Hans Rice, (b. 1841), aged 21, Irish farm labourer from County Down travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 15
  • Mr. Edward Rice, (b. 1826), aged 36, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Echunga" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 24th December 1862 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rice (post 1700) +

  • Condoleezza Rice (b. 1954), American professor, diplomat, author, and national security expert, 66th United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor from 2001 to 2005
  • Stuart Alan Rice (1932-2024), American theoretical chemist and physical chemist who received the National Medal of Science in 1999
  • Homer C. Rice (1927-2024), American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator
  • Sarah Rice (1955-2024), American theatre actress known for productions like Sweeney Todd which won her a Theatre World Award in 1979
  • Ronald L. Rice (1945-2023), American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1986 to 2022
  • Ron Rice (d. 2022), American entrepreneur who founded Hawaiian Tropic, an American brand of suntan lotion sold around the world in 1969 with a $500 loan from his father
  • Ronald C. Rice (b. 1968), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1996, 2008; Candidate in primary for New Jersey 10th District, 2012 16
  • Anne Rice (1941-2021), born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien, an American author of gothic fiction, erotic literature, and Christian literature, best known for her series of novels The Vampire Chronicles
  • Megan Gillespie Rice S.H.C.J. (1930-2021), American nuclear disarmament activist, Catholic nun, and former missionary
  • Norman Blann Rice (b. 1943), American politician who served as the 49th mayor of Seattle, Washington
  • ... (Another 271 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. Edward Rice, British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 17
Frank Rock Slide
  • Mr. Charles Rice, Canadian resident of Frank, Alberta who was buried in the Frank Rock Slide on 29th April 1903 18
Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Clara Evelyn  Rice, Canadian resident from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 19
  • Mr. Frank D.  Rice, Canadian resident from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 19
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Desmond Maxwell Rice (1924-1941), Australian Stoker 3rd Class from Elwood, Victoria, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 20
HMS Cornwall
  • Geoffrey Frederick Rice, British Chief Engineer Room Artificer aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 21
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Herbert F Rice (b. 1917), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Birmingham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. John Henry Rice, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 23
  • Mr. Francis Rice, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 23
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Michael Rice, Irish Fireman from Armagh, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 24
  • Mr. Stephen Rice, Irish Fireman from County Armagh, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 24
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. John Reginald Rice (d. 1912), aged 25, English Clerk from Crosby, Lancashire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 25
  • Mr. Charles Rice (d. 1912), aged 32, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 25
  • Mrs. Margaret Rice (d. 1912), (née Norton), aged 39, Irish Third Class passenger from Athlone, Westmeath who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 25
  • Master Albert Rice (d. 1912), aged 10, Irish Third Class passenger from Athlone, Westmeath who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 25
  • Master George Hugh Rice (d. 1912), aged 8, Irish Third Class passenger from Athlone, Westmeath who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 25
  • ... (Another 3 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
USS Arizona
  • Mr. William Albert Rice, American Seaman Second Class from Washington, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 26
USS Indianapolis
  • Albert Rice, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 27

Suggested Readings for the name Rice +

  • A Genealogical Register of Edmund Rice Descendants by Lowther Ellis.
  • Henry Rice (1717-1818), the Pioneer Tennessee Gristmiller and his Twelve Children by Melvin Weaver Little.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  6. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bencoolen
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  17. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  18. Calgary Herald news article retrieved 11th August 2021. Retrieved from https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/calgaryherald/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Calgary_Herald_Thu__Apr_30__1903_-copy-scaled.jpg
  19. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  20. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  21. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  22. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  23. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  24. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  25. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html
  26. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
  27. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew

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