Parent’s name

Rice surname meaning

Usually an Anglicized Welsh patronymic from Rhys, though English topographic and German routes also occur.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 192 · 142,463 people
Common variants: Rhys, Rees, Reese, Price

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Rice is best known as an English spelling of the Welsh personal name Rhys, often interpreted as “ardent” or “impetuous.” In that line it is a parent’s name: descendants inherited the father’s given name as a surname. English records also contain unrelated topographic routes from words for brush or thicket, and some Rice families may represent German Reis or other immigrant forms. Rees, Reese, and Price show neighbouring Anglicizations but are not automatic proof of shared ancestry. The Welsh patronymic is the lead, while the wider evidence makes confidence disputed.

Also seen as: Rhys, Rees, Reese, Price

Sources used

Geneanet/DAFN 2022: Rice chiefly from Welsh Rhys, with English and German alternatives
Wikipedia “Rice (surname)” (Welsh patronymic and other origins)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)