Find out how popular the last name Bice is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bice.

Bice, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bice surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bice in America

Bice is the 5117th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bice surname appeared 6,841 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bice.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bice to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bice

The surname Bice has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "bicio," which means "cross-eyed" or "squinting." This nickname likely referred to someone who had a distinctive facial feature or a squinting gaze.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Bice can be found in historical documents from various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardy. Some of the earliest mentions of the surname date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, during the Renaissance period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Bice di Calcavecchia was mentioned in the historical records of Florence. She was a noblewoman and a prominent figure in the city's cultural and social circles. Another early reference to the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who immortalized a character named Bice Portinari in his literary masterpiece, the Divine Comedy.

As the centuries passed, the Bice surname continued to be present in various parts of Italy. In the 16th century, a man named Giovanni Battista Bice was a renowned painter and architect from the city of Genoa. His works can still be admired in several churches and palaces throughout the region.

During the 17th century, a notable figure named Girolamo Bice was a prominent lawyer and legal scholar from Bologna. He authored several influential treatises on law and jurisprudence, which were widely studied and referenced by legal professionals of the time.

In the 18th century, a musician named Niccolò Bice gained recognition for his compositions and performances in the city of Milan. He was highly regarded for his expertise in opera and sacred music, and his works were performed in various theatres and churches across northern Italy.

Another notable individual with the surname Bice was Luisa Bice, a 19th-century writer and poet from Tuscany. Her collection of poems and literary works gained widespread acclaim, and she was celebrated for her contribution to Italian literature during the Romantic period.

These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the surname Bice throughout the centuries, highlighting the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds associated with this Italian name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bice

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bice.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bice was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bice has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bice was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bice, please contact us.

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