Rhys
Say it: REES/ɹiːs/
Boy4 letters1 syllable
#179
in Ireland (2025)
#178 with spellings combined
27
babies in 2025
#65
best rank (2010)
1,790
babies since 1988
Down 78
10-year rank change
Rhys through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27 | #178 |
| 2024 | 23 | #203 |
| 2023 | 27 | #186 |
| 2022 | 43 | #142 |
| 2021 | 50 | #128 |
| 2020 | 35 | #157 |
| 2019 | 45 | #132 |
| 2018 | 42 | #144 |
| 2017 | 60 | #109 |
| 2016 | 61 | #113 |
| 2015 | 71 | #100 |
| 2014 | 80 | #97 |
| 2013 | 98 | #82 |
| 2012 | 124 | #66 |
| 2011 | 120 | #68 |
| 2010 | 126 | #65 |
| 2009 | 107 | #74 |
| 2008 | 131 | #67 |
| 2007 | 99 | #76 |
| 2006 | 60 | #104 |
| 2005 | 54 | #106 |
| 2004 | 47 | #116 |
| 2003 | 30 | #138 |
| 2002 | 43 | #107 |
| 2001 | 30 | #137 |
| 2000 | 43 | #112 |
| 1999 | 26 | #133 |
| 1998 | 19 | #154 |
| 1997 | 15 | #189 |
| 1996 | 7 | #261 |
| 1995 | 15 | #178 |
| 1994 | 8 | #225 |
| 1993 | 6 | #255 |
| 1992 | 9 | #210 |
| 1991 | 6 | #242 |
| 1988 | 3 | #319 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Rhys mean?
Uncertain
Welsh, a name of princes of south-west Wales.
Say it right
REES
Not:RYSERIZ
The story of Rhys
Rhys is a Welsh name, and it has been used in Wales since the Middle Ages. The sources we use don’t give a settled meaning for it, so we leave that as uncertain. English speakers have also spelled it Reece and Rees, and the surname Price comes from ap Rhys, “son of Rhys”.
The name belongs to the old kingdom of Deheubarth in south-west Wales. Its rulers included Rhys ap Tewdwr in the eleventh century and Rhys ap Gruffydd in the twelfth. Later, Rhys ap Thomas helped Henry Tudor win the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
Rhys first appears in the CSO records in 1988. It rose through the 2000s, with its biggest year in 2008, when 131 boys got the name. Its best rank was number 65 in 2010. It did even better in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 25 in 2008.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Rhys (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Rhys
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Rhys | 27 | 1,790 |
In Northern Ireland
#212 in 2025 with 9 babies. Best rank #25 (2008); 1,146 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.