2000
#11,893
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,410
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Hice
Derived from the Middle English word "hice," meaning "tall" or "lofty," likely referring to a tall person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,272 Americans carry the last name Hice. That puts it at #14,485 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hice surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hice with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,860
Census rank
#14,485
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,981 bearers of the surname Hice in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14485th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hice, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hice
The surname Hice is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. Derived from the Germanic root word "hiez," which means "person" or "man," the name initially referred to a person of significant stature or importance within a community.
In the early 13th century, records show the name Hice appearing in various regions of modern-day Germany, particularly in the southern regions. One of the earliest known references can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, where a certain "Heinricus Hice" is mentioned in 1245.
As the name spread throughout the Germanic territories, different spellings emerged, such as Hietz, Hiez, and Hitz. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and scribal inconsistencies in record-keeping during that era.
One notable individual bearing the name Hice was Johann Hice, a prominent merchant and guild member in the city of Nuremberg during the 15th century. His name appears in several trade records and guild documents from the late 1400s.
In the 16th century, the name Hice also gained recognition in the Low Countries, particularly in the Netherlands. A well-known figure was Pieter Hice, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived from 1536 to 1604. His works, primarily religious and allegorical scenes, can still be found in various collections across Europe.
Another significant figure was Hans Hice, a German architect and stonemason, who was born in 1525 in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several notable churches and municipal buildings throughout southern Germany during the late Renaissance period.
The name Hice also has ties to various place names in Germany, such as Hitzacker, a town in Lower Saxony, and Hitzhofen, a municipality in Bavaria. These geographic locations may have influenced the surname's evolution and spread across different regions.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Hice has been carried by numerous individuals, including scholars, artisans, and professionals. While it may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, reflecting the importance and status of those who originally bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hice
Among Census respondents with the surname Hice, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hice bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hice surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 1,689
- Two or more races4.5% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 88
- Black or African American4.0% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hice
Hice appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,355
-55 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,144 places
2020
#14,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,981
-374 bearers (-15.9%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,448 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,893 | 2,410 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,037 | 2,355 | 0.80 | -55 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 1,144 places |
| 2020 | #14,485 | 1,981 | 0.66 | -374 bearers (-15.9%) | Down 1,448 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hice surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,037 | #14,485 | -11.1% |
| Count | 2,355 | 1,981 | -15.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.66 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hice bearers went from 2,355 to 1,981 (-15.9% change). The surname moved down 1,448 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,037 to #14,485.
FAQ
Hice surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hice?
Name Census estimates that about 2,272 living Americans carry the surname Hice. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,860 residents.
How common is Hice?
Hice ranks #14,485 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,981 people with the surname Hice. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hice.
Has Hice become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hice went from 2,355 recorded bearers to 1,981. That is a decrease of 374 (-15.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,037 to #14,485.
What does the Census say about the background of Hice?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hice, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hice in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (1,689 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hice appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hice (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hice mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "hice," meaning "tall" or "lofty," likely referring to a tall person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hice (0.66 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Hice?
See how many people have the last name Hice on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.