Boys' name · since 1880

Rice

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 287 babies named Rice, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

#10,848 of 45,481
all-time among boys
287
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade

Rice sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 287 recorded since 1880.

Social Security Administration records show Rice recorded 287 times among boys since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1972.

  • #10,848 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 287 born since 1880
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rice ranks #10,848 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 287 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.

#10,848 of 45,481
all-time among boys
287
born since 1880
1920s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Rice's 287 recorded births place it above 76.14% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Rice's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Rice's SSA record in two at 1923 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1890, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1919 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Rice popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1972

Last recorded 1972
Peak year (1919)
15
Annual births at peak, across 93 years of records
05101520 18801893191519211927193319501972 5

Rice by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (77 births, 27% of the file).

1920s was Rice's strongest decade.

77 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.

Rice births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 77 births (27% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Rice? ▼
287 babies have been named Rice since 1880. All-time, it sits at #10,848 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1972. The peak year was 1919 with 15 births.
Where does Rice sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Rice ranks #10,848 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Rice most popular? ▼
Rice was most popular in the 1920s decade with 77 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
How long has the name Rice been used? ▼
Records for Rice go back to 1880, giving 93 years of history through 1972.
What names are similar to Rice? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Richard, Ricky, Ricardo, Rick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Rice's data

  • Rice's decade-level peak was the 1920s (77 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Rice

Nearby Names Like Rice

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Rice

Richard Boy
#234 2,577,552 births
Ricky Boy
#948 223,145 births
Ricardo Boy
#380 146,456 births
Rick Boy
#3049 81,829 births
Rickey Boy
#2807 61,717 births

Compare Rice side by side: Rice vs Richard Rice vs Ricky Rice vs Ricardo

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Leory
287 births · Peak 1935
Orlyn
287 births · Peak 1923
Cabot
287 births · Peak 2004
Roc #9034
287 births · Peak 2010
Dvid
287 births · Peak 1971
Kennen
287 births · Peak 2004
Babak
287 births · Peak 1987
Christepher
287 births · Peak 1988

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Rice: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–1972 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Rice draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.