Reese
Reese was the 192nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,631 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 128th with 2,459 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 20 places. More babies were named Reese in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning ardor (Welsh Rhys) · Welsh
Say it REES /ris/
- Rank in 2025
- #192 girls, down 46 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,631girls
- Girls and boys
- 80% girls, 20% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20122,459 babies
- Total since 1880
- 64,381babies recorded
What does the name Reese mean?
Reese is an English spelling of the Welsh name Rhys, which DMNES glosses 'ardor; fiery warrior' and Wiktionary 'ardor'; DMNES lists medieval Welsh princes of the name. Wiktionary adds that in North America the surname can also come from an unrelated German name. Wikipedia notes that Reese is now unisex, and that use for girls rose in the US from the 1980s, while it also gives some unsupported glosses such as 'wreath'.
Rhys (Welsh, “ardor, enthusiasm”)rīs (Old Welsh, “ardor; fiery warrior”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Rhys, Reece, Rees.
See also: Welsh names, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rhys', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Reese', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Reese (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Reese popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #192 | #603 | 1,631 | 475 |
| 2020 | #146 | #733 | 1,878 | 336 |
| 2010 | #137 | #487 | 2,265 | 533 |
| 2000 | #886 | #418 | 249 | 592 |
| 1990 | — | #896 | — | 132 |
| 1980 | — | #1,287 | — | 53 |
| 1970 | — | #966 | — | 70 |
| 1960 | — | #1,189 | — | 44 |
| 1950 | — | #976 | — | 51 |
| 1940 | — | #1,152 | — | 34 |
| 1930 | — | #1,130 | — | 39 |
| 1920 | — | #1,068 | — | 44 |
| 1910 | — | #565 | — | 26 |
| 1900 | — | #891 | — | 10 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | #889 | — | 6 |
How popular is Reese, counting every spelling?
Reese has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #213 for girls in 2025, against #192 on the official list, because Kaylee/Kaeli/Keily and Maisie/Maisy/Mazie and Jasmine/Jazmin/Jazmine move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Reese?
1,631 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Reese (0.45 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Reese born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Reese.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Reese?
About 44,400 people born in the US named Reese are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Reese mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Reese by state
How common Reese was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (3.4×), Nebraska (2.7×), South Dakota (2.5×), New Hampshire (2.5×), Utah (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, Hawaii, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Reese: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Reese, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Reese · Sibling names for Reese
Questions about the name Reese
What does Reese mean?
Reese means “ardor (Welsh Rhys)” (Welsh origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Reese?
Reese was the 192nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,631 babies. Its best year was 2012, when it ranked 128th with 2,459 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 20 places. More babies were named Reese in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Reese a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 80% girls, 20% boys given the name Reese in the US.
Where is Reese most popular?
In 2021–2025, Reese was most common in North Dakota (3.58 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nebraska and South Dakota.