Rhys
Meaning
"ardor, enthusiasm"
Say it: REESS
The story
Rhys is one of the oldest and proudest of Welsh names, from the Old Welsh Ris, probably meaning ardor or enthusiasm, the fire in a person rather than any quiet virtue. It was a name for rulers. Several medieval Welsh princes bore it, above all Rhys ap Gruffydd, the twelfth-century Lord Rhys who held the south against the invading Normans and kept a court famous for poetry and song. The same name lies behind the surnames Rees, Reece and Price, the last from ap Rhys, son of Rhys. Spelled in the spare Welsh way, all consonants and one bright vowel, Rhys has traveled far beyond Wales and reads as current as ever in the United States. It is short, strong and unmistakably Celtic, a single syllable of ardor with a prince behind it.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Rhys peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
When you meet Rhys
Most people given the name Rhys in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Rhys deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Rhys truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Rhys fits with your family’s names and surname.
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