2000
#50,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 391
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Slice
A surname denoting one who sliced bread or other food products.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 431 Americans carry the last name Slice. That puts it at #58,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 795,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slice 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
431
1 in 795,254
Census rank
#58,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
376
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 376 bearers of the surname Slice in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slice, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slice
The surname SLICE is of English origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "slician," which means "to cut or slice." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone whose occupation involved cutting or slicing materials, such as a butcher or a tailor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SLICE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1327, where it is listed as "Johanne Slice." This indicates that the name was already in use during the medieval period in England.
In the 15th century, the name SLICE appeared in the Hertfordshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1428, where it was spelled as "Slyse." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.
One notable individual with the surname SLICE was John Slice, a merchant from London who lived in the late 16th century. He was involved in the trade of textiles and is mentioned in various records from that period.
Another historical figure with the name SLICE was William Slice, a farmer from Yorkshire who lived in the early 18th century. Records show that he owned a significant amount of land and was considered a prominent member of his local community.
In the 19th century, the name SLICE can be found in the census records of various English counties. One notable example is Thomas Slice, a blacksmith from Nottinghamshire, who was born in 1812 and lived until 1887.
The surname SLICE is also associated with several place names in England, such as Slice Hill in Derbyshire and Slice Lane in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or vice versa, further cementing the name's historical roots in the region.
Other individuals who bore the surname SLICE throughout history include:
1. Richard Slice (c. 1650 - 1718), a merchant and landowner from Bristol.
2. Elizabeth Slice (1774 - 1842), a renowned author and poet from Kent.
3. James Slice (1812 - 1892), a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
4. Henry Slice (1879 - 1956), a military officer who served in both World Wars.
5. Margaret Slice (1901 - 1981), a pioneering scientist known for her contributions to the field of genetics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slice
Among Census respondents with the surname Slice, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Slice 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 Slice surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 357
- Two or more races3.5% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 4
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slice
Slice 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
#72,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 270
-121 bearers (-30.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 21,844 places
2020
#58,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 376
+106 bearers (+39.3%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 13,798 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,261 | 391 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #72,105 | 270 | 0.09 | -121 bearers (-30.9%) | Down 21,844 places |
| 2020 | #58,307 | 376 | 0.13 | +106 bearers (+39.3%) | Up 13,798 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 Slice 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 | #72,105 | #58,307 | 19.1% |
| Count | 270 | 376 | 39.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.13 | 39.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slice bearers went from 270 to 376 (+39.3% change). The surname moved up 13,798 positions in the national ranking, going from #72,105 to #58,307.
FAQ
Slice surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slice?
Name Census estimates that about 431 living Americans carry the surname Slice. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 795,254 residents.
How common is Slice?
Slice ranks #58,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 376 people with the surname Slice. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (431), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Slice.
Has Slice become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slice went from 270 recorded bearers to 376. That is an increase of 106 (+39.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #72,105 to #58,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Slice?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slice, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Slice in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slice appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (1.1%). 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 Slice (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 Slice mean?
A surname denoting one who sliced bread or other food products. 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 Slice (0.13 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 surname Slice?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.