Rhys
Boy · REES · Welsh
Rhys is a boys' name of Welsh origin, meaning “ardour, enthusiasm”. In 2025 it ranked 370th for boys in the UK (128 babies) and 410th for boys in the US (778 babies).
What does Rhys mean?
Welsh
“ardour, enthusiasm”
The Lord Rhys, a 12th-century ruler of Deheubarth, held a festival of poetry and music in 1176 often called the first eisteddfod.
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More on Wiktionary.
Is Rhys a girl's or a boy's name?
Rhys is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 128 boys in the UK and 38 girls and 778 boys in the US.
How popular is Rhys in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #370among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 128about 1 in 2,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 46% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 128 boys in the UK were named Rhys, making it the 370th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 205th. Its busiest year was 2008, with 1,931 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Rhys since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Rhys in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 227 boys in the UK were given Rhys or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #243, up from #370 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 389th in England and Wales, 278th in Scotland and 212th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#56) and 2004 (#53).
Rhys in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 128 | #370 |
| 2024 | 148 | #335 |
| 2023 | 188 | #276 |
| 2022 | 199 | #263 |
| 2021 | 231 | #246 |
| 2020 | 270 | #205 |
| 2019 | 262 | #223 |
| 2018 | 329 | #182 |
| 2017 | 345 | #177 |
| 2016 | 484 | #140 |
| 2015 | 525 | #133 |
| 2014 | 634 | #112 |
| 2013 | 770 | #92 |
| 2012 | 972 | #78 |
| 2011 | 1,132 | #65 |
| 2010 | 1,266 | #67 |
| 2009 | 1,478 | #54 |
| 2008 | 1,931 | #46 |
| 2007 | 1,678 | #52 |
| 2006 | 1,693 | #45 |
| 2005 | 1,274 | #60 |
| 2004 | 1,384 | #53 |
| 2003 | 1,343 | #51 |
| 2002 | 1,347 | #52 |
| 2001 | 1,363 | #52 |
| 2000 | 1,570 | #48 |
| 1999 | 1,434 | #57 |
| 1998 | 1,441 | #57 |
| 1997 | 1,422 | #57 |
| 1996 | 1,331 | #58 |
How popular is Rhys in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #410among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 778about 1 in 2,200 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 31% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 778 boys in the US were named Rhys, making it the 410th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 418th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 952 boys. It first appears in the records in 1929. 38 girls were also named Rhys in 2025 (3,831st for girls).
Half of all the boys named Rhys in the US since 1880 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 1,981 boys in the US were given Rhys or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #202, up from #410 for this spelling alone.
Rhys in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 778 | #410 |
| 2024 | 952 | #352 |
| 2023 | 931 | #353 |
| 2022 | 733 | #426 |
| 2021 | 750 | #413 |
| 2020 | 713 | #418 |
| 2019 | 692 | #440 |
| 2018 | 627 | #463 |
| 2017 | 619 | #476 |
| 2016 | 612 | #494 |
| 2015 | 560 | #512 |
| 2014 | 580 | #484 |
| 2013 | 560 | #490 |
| 2012 | 576 | #474 |
| 2011 | 539 | #487 |
| 2010 | 550 | #471 |
| 2009 | 456 | #578 |
| 2008 | 359 | #674 |
| 2007 | 263 | #809 |
| 2006 | 205 | #924 |
| 2005 | 177 | #979 |
| 2004 | 180 | #938 |
| 2003 | 152 | #1,036 |
| 2002 | 144 | #1,056 |
| 2001 | 145 | #1,019 |
| 2000 | 134 | #1,064 |
| 1999 | 116 | #1,128 |
| 1998 | 98 | #1,234 |
| 1997 | 77 | #1,410 |
| 1996 | 76 | #1,385 |
| 1995 | 62 | #1,522 |
| 1994 | 57 | #1,603 |
| 1993 | 68 | #1,402 |
| 1992 | 39 | #1,997 |
| 1991 | 52 | #1,609 |
| 1990 | 51 | #1,610 |
| 1989 | 32 | #2,148 |
| 1988 | 41 | #1,701 |
| 1987 | 40 | #1,682 |
| 1986 | 29 | #2,005 |
| 1985 | 41 | #1,568 |
| 1984 | 30 | #1,841 |
| 1983 | 23 | #2,207 |
| 1982 | 27 | #1,998 |
| 1981 | 24 | #2,137 |
| 1980 | 27 | #2,003 |
| 1979 | 23 | #2,156 |
| 1978 | 6 | #5,056 |
| 1977 | 8 | #4,162 |
| 1976 | 6 | #4,933 |
| 1975 | 10 | #3,426 |
| 1974 | 5 | #5,225 |
| 1973 | 11 | #3,011 |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 7 | #3,961 |
| 1970 | 10 | #3,069 |
| 1969 | 11 | #2,681 |
| 1968 | 10 | #2,734 |
| 1967 | 7 | #3,229 |
| 1966 | 9 | #2,783 |
| 1965 | 8 | #2,980 |
| 1964 | 13 | #2,309 |
| 1963 | 13 | #2,299 |
| 1962 | 10 | #2,671 |
| 1961 | 16 | #2,069 |
| 1960 | 14 | #2,209 |
| 1959 | 5 | #3,986 |
| 1958 | 11 | #2,504 |
| 1957 | 9 | #2,820 |
| 1956 | 17 | #1,944 |
| 1955 | 15 | #2,047 |
| 1954 | 13 | #2,206 |
| 1953 | 11 | #2,390 |
| 1952 | 11 | #2,374 |
| 1951 | 6 | #3,362 |
| 1950 | 7 | #3,020 |
| 1949 | 8 | #2,801 |
| 1948 | 5 | #3,665 |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 9 | #2,533 |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 5 | #3,504 |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 8 | #2,978 |
Names like Rhys
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Declan Finn Ronan Ryan Dylan Kian Aiden Connor Kayden Brody Owen Rowan
Other spellings of Rhys
More Welsh names
Winnie Maddox Morgan Idris Bowen Griffin Gavin Nia Seren Gwendolyn Winifred Meredith Brynn Eira Gwen Ffion