TICE

Tice is a surname of English origin, first recorded in the British Isles at the end of the medieval period. It is an Anglo‑Saxon name that is linked, through several derivations, to the medieval given name Tice, a shortened form of the biblical name Matthias.

The name Matthias comes from the Hebrew Mattityahu, which translates as “gift of Yahweh”. Consequently the surname Tice can be interpreted as meaning “descendant of Tice” or “son of Tice”, with Tice itself being a diminutive of Matthias.

Several alternative explanations for the name’s origin are recorded. One proposes an occupational derivation from the Old English word ticcen, meaning a young goat, and thus identifies Tice with a goatherd. Another cites the Old English word typ meaning fence, suggesting an association with a fence‑maker or a person who constructed and maintained stockades. A further source links the name to the Middle English word tyce, meaning weaver or fabric maker, and to tithe, referring to a religious tax, implying that bearers of the surname may have been noted for paying their tithes promptly.

In the surviving church registers of London, which date back to Elizabethan times, the surname appears in a variety of spellings. The recorded forms include Tice, Tick, Ticke, Ticks, Tyce, Tise, and Ties. Notable entries are the christening of John Tyse on 5 January 1559 at St. Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, and the witness of William Tick at St. Sepulchre on 10 August 1772.

Historical references place the earliest name bearers in England’s Midlands, with the first appearance in Northamptonshire cited as early as 1273. In the United States, the surname is most commonly found in the Midwest and the Northeast, with the highest concentrations in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New York, and Ohio. According to the 2020 census, 5 955 people carried the surname Tice in the United States, ranking it the 6 093rd most common last name, and the majority of holders were residents of Michigan (861) and Pennsylvania (812). The surname also appears in Canada, particularly Ontario, and in commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

Variations and related surnames discovered in the records include Tyce, Tycee, Tycey, Tyler, Ticer, Tycer, Tyson, Tisseur, Tiger, and Teiger. These variations arise from phonetic shifts and linguistic influences over the centuries, yet they all trace back to the same root, reflecting the complex linguistic heritage of the surname Tice.

Typical given names associated with the Tice surname

Male

• Andrew
• Anthony
• Dale
• David
• Glenn
• Ian
• Kevin
• Michael
• Richard
• Robert
• Roger
• Stephen

Female

• Anne-marie
• Caroline
• Cassandra
• Charlotte
• Cheryl
• Emma
• Janet
• Jodie
• Julie
• Linda
• Mary
• Rachel
• Sarah
• Victoria

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Tice in...

Braille

⠞⠊⠉⠑

Morse

-..-.-..

Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Tice

• Richard Tice -
• Patrick Tice - Cricketer
• Elena Tice - Irish field hockey player and former cricketer

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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