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Rhys

REES
Welsh
"ardor"
Grace Royal
By Grace Royal
Updated Tue Jul 01 2025

Rhys Origin and Meaning

The name Rhys is a boy's name of Welsh origin meaning "ardor".

Rugged but gentle, Rhys is the traditional Welsh spelling of this name, which can also be anglicized as Reese or Reece. Up until 2010, Reese was the preferred spelling in the US, perhaps because parents were concerned about mispronunciation. However, Rhys has since taken over for boys and is now used twice as often as Reese.

Always widespread in Wales, where it has deep historic roots and was borne by a number of early rulers, Rhys is also familiar across the rest of the UK, though less now so than it was in the 90s and 2000s. In the US, it didn't enter the Top 1000 until 2004, possibly influenced by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, of The Tudors, and Welsh-born actor Rhys Ifans.

Former New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre named his son Rhys Edward in 2009, while comedian and actor Rhys Darby is another bearer.

# 354 in the US

Rhys Rank in US Top 1000

# 77 on Nameberry

Rhys Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Rhys

20 Names Similar to Rhys

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Famous People Named Rhys

  • Rhys ap Gruffydd
    King of Deheubarth, Wales
  • Rhys Ifans (born Rhys Owain Evans)
    Welsh actor
  • Rhys Hoskins
    American baseball player
  • Rhys Montague Darby
    New Zealand comedian
  • Rhys Chatham
    American composer
  • Rhys Coiro
    American actor
  • Rhys Thomas
    British film director and actor
  • Rhys Uhlich
    Australian model and actor
  • Rhys Lewis
    British soul singer
  • Jonathan Rhys Meyers
    Irish Actor and Model
  • Rhys Edward McIntyre (born 2009)
    son of musician Joey McIntyre
  • John Rhys
    Davies, Welsh actor and producer
  • Matthew Rhys
    Welsh actor

The name Rhys in Pop Culture

  • Rhys
    character in the book "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine
  • Rhys
    a character on the television show "Elementary"
  • Rhys Williams
    a character on the television show "Torchwood"
  • Rhys
    a character in the TellTale video game "Tales from the Borderlands"
  • Rhys Williams
    a character in the book "In Office Hours," By Lucy Keller
  • Rhys
    a character in the "Trylle" trilogy of books
  • Rhysand "Rhys
    " character in the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" book series by Sarah J. Maas
  • Rhys
    a character in the Dragon Age game and book series
  • Rhys Lindstrom
    one of the main characters of The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

The name Rhys in Nameberry Blog Posts