boy's name
Rhys
REES
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 49,499
the United States
#410
2025 births
Rhys is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "ardor" or "enthusiasm," and it gave English the surname Price by way of a Welsh word for son. It ranks 179th in Ireland and 389th in England and Wales.
- Rhys is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2008, when 1,600 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 4,971 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rhys over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,130 |
| 2000s | 12,982 |
| 2010s | 5,475 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 937 |
What Rhys means
Rhys means ardor, enthusiasm or fiery zeal. The Welsh word describes intensity of feeling rather than anger, so passionate is closer than fierce — a warmth rather than a temper.
Where Rhys comes from
Rhys is a Welsh name from a word meaning ardor or enthusiasm. Its bearer is Rhys ap Gruffydd, the Lord Rhys, who ruled Deheubarth in the twelfth century and held the first recorded eisteddfod at Cardigan in 1176 — which makes him the origin of the Welsh national festival still held annually. The name produced the surname Price through ap Rhys, son of Rhys, where the ap collapsed onto the name: the same process gave Powell from ap Hywel, Pritchard from ap Richard and Bowen from ab Owain. Reese and Reece are English respellings, and Reese Witherspoon carries the name as a surname on her mother's side. The Welsh spelling has traveled well beyond Wales in the last thirty years.
Rhys in use
Rhys ranks 179th in Ireland with 27 births in 2025, 389th in England and Wales with 106 births and 410th in the United States with 816 births — genuinely wide reach for a Welsh-spelled name. It is falling in our data from a peak in 2008, and our records carry it from 1996. Reece and Reese are counted separately in every register.
How popular is Rhys?
In 2025, Rhys was given to 106 babies in England and Wales, ranking #389 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Rhys is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Rhys
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Rhys also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rhys over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Rhys 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.
Sibling names for Rhys
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Rhys — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Rhys
What does the name Rhys mean?
Rhys means "ardor" or "enthusiasm" — intensity of feeling rather than anger.
Is Price related to Rhys?
Yes. Price comes from ap Rhys, son of Rhys, with the ap collapsing onto the name — as in Powell from ap Hywel.
Who was the Lord Rhys?
Rhys ap Gruffydd, ruler of Deheubarth, who held the first recorded eisteddfod at Cardigan in 1176.
How do you pronounce Rhys?
REES, one syllable.
How popular is the name Rhys?
In 2025, Rhys was given to 106 babies in England and Wales, ranking #389 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Rhys a girl's or a boy's name?
Rhys is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Rhys?
Rhys has 1 syllable.
When was Rhys most popular?
Rhys peaked in 2008, when 1,600 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Rhys a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rhys currently ranks #179 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.