Rhys
Rhys was the 412th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 778 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 353rd; the most babies were born in 2024 (952). Over the last ten years it has moved up 102 places. More babies were named Rhys in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning ardor, fiery warrior · Welsh
Say it REES /ris/
- Rank in 2025
- #412 boys, up 7 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 778boys
- Girls and boys
- 6% girls, 94% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024952 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,221babies recorded
What does the name Rhys mean?
Rhys is a Welsh name borne by several medieval Welsh princes, including Rhys ap Gruffydd (the Lord Rhys). DMNES derives it from Old Welsh rīs, "ardor" or "fiery warrior", and records English forms such as Rys, Ryce and Rees in the 16th century. Wiktionary notes the related surnames Price (ap Rhys), Rees, Reese and Rice.
rīs (Old Welsh, “ardor; fiery warrior”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: Welsh spelling: the y is said like ee; it rhymes with peace.
Related names: Reese, Rees, Rice, Price.
See also: Welsh names, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rhys', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rhys', DMNES, Durham University
Rhys popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,892 | #412 | 38 | 778 |
| 2020 | #3,828 | #419 | 38 | 713 |
| 2010 | #3,736 | #471 | 42 | 550 |
| 2000 | #7,077 | #1,068 | 15 | 134 |
| 1990 | — | #1,629 | — | 51 |
| 1980 | — | #2,042 | — | 27 |
| 1970 | — | #3,240 | — | 10 |
| 1960 | — | #2,294 | — | 14 |
| 1950 | — | #3,262 | — | 7 |
| 1940 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Rhys, counting every spelling?
Rhys is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #257 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #412 for Rhys on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,469 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhys | 778 | #412 | 4,144 |
| Reece | 675 | #460 | 3,097 |
| Rhyse | 8 | #9,517 | 43 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Rhys?
778 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rhys (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Rhys 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 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rhys.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rhys?
About 14,100 people born in the US named Rhys are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 5 and 16. That makes Rhys a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Rhys by state
How common Rhys was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (4.4×), Pennsylvania (2.9×), New Hampshire (2.0×), Virginia (1.9×), Oregon (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Alabama, South Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rhys: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rhys, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rhys · Sibling names for Rhys
Questions about the name Rhys
What does Rhys mean?
Rhys means “ardor, fiery warrior” (Welsh origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Rhys?
Rhys was the 412th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 778 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 353rd; the most babies were born in 2024 (952). Over the last ten years it has moved up 102 places. More babies were named Rhys in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Rhys a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 6% girls, 94% boys given the name Rhys in the US.
Where is Rhys most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rhys was most common in Delaware (2.11 per 1,000 boys), followed by Pennsylvania and Hawaii.