Holding steady.
Popularity of Rice since 1880
Babies named Rice per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1919, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Rice's real moment was 1880.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 37 |
| 1890s | 25 |
| 1900s | 6 |
| 1910s | 54 |
| 1920s | 77 |
| 1930s | 49 |
| 1940s | 12 |
| 1950s | 22 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Rice is a name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Irish surname Ó Ríogh, meaning 'descendant of the king,' or from an English topographic term for brushwood. Its use as a first name is rare. According to U.S. Social Security data, Rice was first recorded in 1880 and has remained stable in usage since then, with no later peak years. It has never ranked among the top 1000 names, and its one-in-N incidence is too low to calculate. The name is unisex but has been given predominantly to boys in historical records. While not common, Rice offers a simple, surname-style option for parents seeking a distinctive name.
Rice as a given name is rare and likely derives from the Irish or English surname Rice. The Irish surname is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic 'Ó Ríogh,' meaning 'descendant of a king.' The English surname may be a variant of 'Rise' or 'Reece,' or a topographic name for someone who lived near brushwood (from Old English 'hrīs'). As a first name, it is occasionally used in English-speaking countries, possibly influenced by the surname of notable figures.
Nicknames & variants
Sibling names for Rice
Names that share Rice's style, for a brother or sister.
