This page is historical. Follow this link for the current version.
Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Avice f. Latin avitia 'birds; the bird family', or possibly Old German Aveza.

This name was rare outside of England.

England
Latin
1189 Avice (gen) GASurv p. 166, Avicia (nom) ibid. p. 109; 1279–80 Avicia (nom) WaHR-SK p. 31; 1300 Avicia (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 239; 1408 Avisia (nom) GCCYork p.12
Middle English
1406 Avys EEW p. 13; 1426 Aueys ibid. p. 76
English
1530 Auys LIWill-III p. 14, Avys ibid. p. 14; 1539 Aves BarnstapleBap p. 1, Avys ibid. p. 1; 1540 Avys ibid. p. 2; 1541 Aves ibid. p. 2, Avysse ibid. p. 2; 1542 Avys HAmar-vol9 p. 2; 1545 Avys BarnstapleBap p. 4; 1554 Avis bruton-vol1 p. 2; 1561 Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 67, bruton-vol1 p. 31; 1563 Avis BUmar-vol2 p. 60; 1569 Avis CAmar-vol1 p. 2; 1571 Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 68; 1572 Avis ibid. p. 68; 1584 Avis StAnthonlin p. 31, bruton-vol1 p. 8; 1585 Avis ibid. p. 46; 1587 Avice ibid. p. 47, Avis ibid. p. 47; 1588 Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 139; 1589 Avice COmar-vol2 p. 49, Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 50; 1590 Avis BEmar-vol2 p. 31, HAmar-vol9 p. 140, bruton-vol1 p. 49; 1591 Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 50; 1593 Avis StAnthonlin p. 36, Avise HAmar-vol9 p. 51; 1595 Avis BUmar-vol2 p. 118; 1596 Avis bruton-vol1 p. 55; 1598 Avice ibid. p. 56, Avis ibid. p. 11; 1599 Avis HAmar-vol9 p. 140
France
Latin
1260 Avicia (nom) ArrestReg-volI IX, Candlemas, Avicie (dat) ibid. IX, Candlemas; 1301 Avisse (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 207, Avissia (nom) ibid. p. 220
Cite as: N. Shiel, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Avice". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2015, no. 2. http://dmnes.org/2015/2/name/Avice.