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Rice History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

Rice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Wales

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

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

Rice migration to the United States +

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 8
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 8
Daniel Rice, who landed in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1764 8

Rice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ally Rice, who landed in New London, Connecticut in 1811 8
Charles Rice, aged 36, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 8
Biddy Rice, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 8
Canlan Rice, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1816 8
Bridget Rice, aged 6, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rice migration to Canada +

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 included the First Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Miss Elizabeth Rice, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Mr. John Rice, (1760 - 1790), aged 29, British settler convicted at Devon, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, may have died on the ship 8

Third Fleet

Mr. John Rice, (b. 1759), aged 28, English shoemaker convicted in Exeter, Devon on 18th July 1785, sentenced for 7 years for breaking and entering, transported aboard the ship "Charlotte" leaving on 13th May 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 22nd January 1788 8
Mr. John Rice, British private on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788

Following the First and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia 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 9
Mr.John Rice, British settler who was convicted in Devon, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Fortune" on 31st October 1812, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr.Thomas Rice, (d. 1860), British settler who was convicted in Surrey, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Fortune" on 31st October 1812, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
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 11
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 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. 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
Mrs. Mary Rice, (b. 1827), aged 35, British settler 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
... (Another 272 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Rice family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Edward Rice, British Fireman from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 17
Mr. Charles Rice, Canadian resident of Frank, Alberta who was buried in the Frank Rock Slide on 29th April 1903 18
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) 20
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
... (Another 17 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
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)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
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
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
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp