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Name Lineage

    The first name Rhys

    A boy’s name from Welsh.

    Pronounced /ɹis/ 1 syllable Male

    Meaning and origin

    Welsh origin

    Borrowed from Welsh Rhys. Doublet of Price, Reece, Rees, Reese, and Rice.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 106 boys were named Rhys, making it the 389th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2008, with 1,600 births (#49).

    01,0002,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    24,524
    babies named Rhys, 1996–2025
    #389
    rank in 2025
    2008
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rhys with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Rhys at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 778 boys born in the United States were named Rhys, the 412th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 952 were.

    05001,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    15,221
    babies named Rhys since 1880
    #412
    rank in 2025
    2024
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Rhys

    14 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Rhys Wakefield
      Australian actor, born 1988
    • Rhys Williams
      English footballer, born 2001
    • Rhys Williams
      British hurdling athlete, born 1984
    • Rhys Chatham
      American composer, born 1952
    • Rhys Coiro
      American actor, born 1979
    • Rhys Murphy
      Association football player (born 1990)
    • Rhys Williams
      Australian association football player, born 1988
    • Rhys Frake-Waterfield
      British film director, born 1991
    • Rhys Healey
      English association football player (born 1994)
    • Rhys Weston
      British footballer (born 1980)
    • Rhys Britton
      British road and track cyclist, born 1999
    • Rhys Carpenter
      American art historian (1889–1980)

    More Welsh boys’ names

    All 78 names of Welsh origin

    Questions

    What does the name Rhys mean?
    Borrowed from Welsh Rhys. Doublet of Price, Reece, Rees, Reese, and Rice.
    What is the origin of the name Rhys?
    Borrowed from Welsh Rhys. Doublet of Price, Reece, Rees, Reese, and Rice.
    How popular is the name Rhys?
    In 2025, 106 boys born in England and Wales were named Rhys, ranking 389th. Its peak was 2008, with 1,600 births.
    Is Rhys a boy's or a girl's name?
    Both. Of the 15,221 US babies named Rhys since 1880, 6% were girls and 94% boys.
    When was Rhys most popular?
    2024 in the United States, when 952 babies were named Rhys, its highest rank at 353rd.
    How do you pronounce Rhys?
    Rhys is /ɹis/, one syllable.