unisex name
Reese
REESS
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 70,132
the United States
#192
2025 births
Reese is a name of Welsh origin meaning "ardour" or "enthusiasm." It anglicizes Rhys, borne by the last native Prince of Deheubarth — and it became a girls' name in America through one actress.
- Reese is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 2,950 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,574 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Reese started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Reese over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 81 |
| 1890s | 91 |
| 1900s | 103 |
| 1910s | 376 |
| 1920s | 524 |
| 1930s | 357 |
| 1940s | 397 |
| 1950s | 508 |
| 1960s | 558 |
| 1970s | 488 |
| 1980s | 752 |
| 1990s | 2,699 |
| 2000s | 20,262 |
| 2010s | 24,290 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,895 |
What Reese means
Reese means ardour, enthusiasm or fiery zeal. The Welsh rhys describes an impetuous rush rather than warmth, so the sense is closer to fervour than affection.
Where Reese comes from
Reese anglicizes the Welsh Rhys, from a root meaning ardour or impetuousness. Rhys ap Gruffydd, who died in 1197, was the last effective ruler of Deheubarth and held the first recorded eisteddfod in 1176. The name produced the surnames Rees, Reese, Rice and Preece — the last from ap Rhys, son of Rhys, with the Welsh patronymic fused on. Its American use as a girls' name follows Reese Witherspoon, born Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, who used her mother's maiden name.
Reese in use
Our data records Reese for both sexes and shows it stable, and it first appears in our records in 1880. Its shift toward female use in America is one of our detected gender flips, following the same path as Ashley and Taylor — and, as our Ashley entry notes, that direction is more common but not the only one.
How popular is Reese?
In 2025, Reese was given to 2,106 babies in the United States, ranking #192 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Reese is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Reese
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Reese also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Reese over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Reese in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Welsh
- Rhys
Sibling names for Reese
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Reese — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Reese
What does the name Reese mean?
Reese means "ardour" or "enthusiasm," from the Welsh Rhys.
Is Reese the same as Rhys?
Yes — Reese is the anglicized spelling of the Welsh Rhys.
Where does the surname Preece come from?
From ap Rhys, son of Rhys, with the Welsh patronymic fused onto the name.
How popular is the name Reese?
In 2025, Reese was given to 2,106 babies in the United States, ranking #192 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Reese a girl's or a boy's name?
Reese is used for both girls and boys. About 70% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Reese?
Reese has 1 syllable.
When was Reese most popular?
Reese peaked in 2007, when 2,950 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Reese a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Reese currently ranks #192 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Reese originally a boys' or girls' name?
Reese was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.