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 [ 1 syll. (r)hys, rh-ys ] The boy name Rhys is sometimes used as a girl name. Its pronunciation is RIY-Z- †. Rhys is used chiefly in the Welsh language and its origin is also Welsh. Derived literally from the element 'rhys' meaning ardor, enthusiasm, rashness. The name was borne by several south-west Welsh rulers in medieval times, including Rhys ap Tewdwr (-1093) who died at the battle of Brecon, and his grandson Rhys ap Gruffudd (1132-1197). The name has mainly been used by the Welsh. Reece (English and Welsh), Rees (English and Welsh), Reese (English and Welsh), Rhett (English), and Rice (English) are variants of Rhys. Rhys is a fairly popular baby name for boys. The name's popularity has been increasing since the 2000s; before that, it was of infrequent use only. At the modest height of its usage in 2008, 0.016% of baby boys were given the name Rhys. It ranked at #679 then. In 2008, within the group of boy names directly linked to Rhys, Reece was the most popular. The name was twice as popular as Rhys in that year. In the past century Rhys has mostly been a boy name. Baby names that sound like Rhys include Rees (English and Welsh), Race, Raj (Indian and Arabic), Rajesh (Indian), Ras (German), Rash, Rayce, Raz (English and Hebrew), Reece (English and Welsh), Reese (English and Welsh), Reg (English), Rex (English, French, and German), Ric (English), Rice (English), Rich (English), Rick (English), Ridge (English), Ries (Dutch), Rig, and Rigg. † English pronunciation for Rhys: R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; IY as in "eat (IY.T)" ; Z as in "zee (Z.IY)"   |
