2000
#7,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,968
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Ice
An English metonymic occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold ice, or lived near an ice store.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,258 Americans carry the last name Ice. That puts it at #8,516 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,497 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ice 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.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,497
Census rank
#8,516
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,713 bearers of the surname Ice in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8516th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ice, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ice
The surname Ice is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "is" or "ise," meaning ice or frozen water. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place near a particularly icy or frozen body of water, such as a river or lake.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ice surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1199, where a certain Robert de Ise is mentioned. The "de" prefix in this case indicates that the name was derived from a place name.
In the 13th century, the Ice surname appeared in various forms, including Ise, Ise, Itz, and Yse. These variations in spelling were not uncommon during this time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
The Domesday Book, a great survey of England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, does not contain any direct references to the Ice surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have been the source of the name, such as Iseleye in Oxfordshire and Isenhurst in Kent.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the Ice surname was Sir Henry Ice, a prominent English judge who lived during the 14th century. He served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1349 to 1361.
In the 15th century, the Ice surname began to appear more frequently in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as Yse or Yce.
Another notable bearer of the Ice surname was William Ice (c. 1470-1537), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bedfordshire, England. He was known for his involvement in the wool trade and owned several manors in the region.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the surname began to stabilize, with the form "Ice" becoming more common. One notable figure from this period was Robert Ice (c. 1540-1597), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Essex from 1586 until his death.
Moving into the 17th century, the Ice surname continued to be found throughout various parts of England. One notable individual from this time was John Ice (1624-1696), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Hertfordshire who served as the High Sheriff of the county in 1670.
Another notable figure with the Ice surname was Sir William Ice (1658-1732), an English barrister and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bury St. Edmunds from 1701 to 1722.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ice
Among Census respondents with the surname Ice, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ice 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 Ice surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,196
- Two or more races4.6% · 172
- Black or African American4.5% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ice
Ice 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
#8,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,994
+26 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 570 places
2020
#8,516
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,713
-281 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,725 | 3,968 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,295 | 3,994 | 1.35 | +26 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 570 places |
| 2020 | #8,516 | 3,713 | 1.24 | -281 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 221 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 Ice 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 | #8,295 | #8,516 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,994 | 3,713 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.24 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ice bearers went from 3,994 to 3,713 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 221 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,295 to #8,516.
FAQ
Ice surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ice?
Name Census estimates that about 4,258 living Americans carry the surname Ice. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,497 residents.
How common is Ice?
Ice ranks #8,516 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,713 people with the surname Ice. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,258), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Ice.
Has Ice become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ice went from 3,994 recorded bearers to 3,713. That is a decrease of 281 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,295 to #8,516.
What does the Census say about the background of Ice?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ice, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Black (4.5%). 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 Ice in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,196 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ice appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Black (4.5%). 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 Ice (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 Ice mean?
An English metonymic occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold ice, or lived near an ice store. 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 Ice (1.24 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 common is the surname Ice?
You can see how many people have the surname Ice on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.