NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Rees

The name Rees is a Welsh name derived from "ap Rees" meaning "son of Rhys.".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Rees is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rees popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4001, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 52 births.

This profile covers 415 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 8% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 429 living people in the UK are called Rees. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2023 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Rees ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2000, when 52 boys were registered as Rees.
  • Rees ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #584 in 2006.
  • About 429 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rees as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4001

2022

Births in 2022

4

Latest year

Peak year

2000

52 births

Estimated living

429

2026

Meaning

What does Rees mean?

The name Rees has its origins in the Welsh language and culture. It is derived from the Welsh word "rhys," which means "ardor" or "passion." This name has been in use since the medieval period in Wales.

The name Rees is thought to have been derived from the Old Welsh name "Res," which was a variation of the name "Rhys." The earliest recorded use of the name Rees dates back to the 13th century in Wales.

One of the most famous historical figures to bear the name Rees was Rees ap Griffith (c. 1132-1201), a Welsh prince and the Lord of Senghenydd. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Normans during the late 12th century.

Another notable individual with the name Rees was Rees Pritchard (c. 1600-1670), a Welsh Anglican priest and poet. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "Cambro-Brytannicae Cymraecaeve Linguae Institutiones" (The Institution of the Welsh Language).

In the 18th century, Rees Goring Thomas (1768-1828) was a Welsh clergyman and author. He wrote several works on Welsh history and literature, including "The History of the Revival of Druidism in Wales" and "The History of the Welsh Baptists."

Rees Davies (1938-2005) was a prominent Welsh historian and academic. He was a professor at various universities, including the University of Oxford, and made significant contributions to the study of Welsh history and culture.

Rees Howells (1879-1950) was a Welsh Christian evangelist and intercessor. He founded the Bible College of Wales and is known for his influential teachings on prayer and intercession.

While the name Rees has Welsh origins, it has been used in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries, due to the influence of Welsh immigration and cultural exchange.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Rees over time

The chart below shows babies named Rees registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Rees, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2022, compared with 52 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Rees
013263952199620092022

Decades

Rees by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rees was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4001 4 1
2010s #3098 53 8
2000s #1164 220 10
1990s #555 138 4

Geography

Where Rees is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rees. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Rees ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #584 in 2006.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Rees in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#584 in 2006

5 years of NRS records, 18 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Rees

  • Rees Greenwood

    association football player

    association football player

    1996-

  • Rees Davies

    historian

    Welsh historian (1938–2005)

    1938-2005

  • Rees Thomas

    rugby league player

    Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer

    1926-1984

  • Rees Stephens

    rugby union player

    Welsh rugby union player (1922-1998)

    1922-1998

  • Rees Williams

    association football player; association football coach

    Welsh footballer (1900-1963)

    1900-1963

  • Rees Jones

    schoolmaster

    school master at Penrhyncoch

    1899-1977

  • Rees Richards

    rugby league player; rugby union player

    Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer

    1886-

  • Rees Thomas

    rugby union player

    Welsh rugby union player

    1882-1926

Related

Names similar to Rees

FAQ

Rees: questions and answers

How popular is the name Rees in the UK right now?

In 2022, Rees was ranked #4001 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Rees most popular?

The peak year on record was 2000, with 52 babies registered as Rees in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Rees?

The name Rees is a Welsh name derived from "ap Rees" meaning "son of Rhys.".

How many people are called Rees in the UK?

A total of 415 babies have been registered as Rees across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 18 more in Scotland.

Where is Rees most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Rees ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #584 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.