NameCensus.

UK surname

Rees

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Rhys, meaning "enthusiastic" or "ardent."

In the 1881 census there were 26,024 people recorded with the Rees surname, ranking it #126 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 33,204, ranked #160, down from #126 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil and Llangafelach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carmarthenshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rees is 34,686 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.6%.

1881 census count

26,024

Ranked #126

Modern count

33,204

2016, ranked #160

Peak year

1911

34,686 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rees had 26,024 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #126 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 33,204 in 2016, ranked #160.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 34,686 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Rees surname distribution map

The map shows where the Rees surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Rees surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rees over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 19,977 #105
1861 historical 18,956 #114
1881 historical 26,024 #126
1891 historical 27,194 #125
1901 historical 31,343 #129
1911 historical 34,686 #110
1997 modern 32,905 #150
1998 modern 34,036 #150
1999 modern 34,316 #153
2000 modern 34,293 #152
2001 modern 33,346 #152
2002 modern 33,914 #154
2003 modern 33,013 #155
2004 modern 33,028 #154
2005 modern 32,487 #155
2006 modern 32,425 #155
2007 modern 32,648 #155
2008 modern 32,762 #157
2009 modern 33,396 #157
2010 modern 34,071 #157
2011 modern 33,701 #157
2012 modern 32,995 #158
2013 modern 33,692 #158
2014 modern 33,890 #158
2015 modern 33,429 #158
2016 modern 33,204 #160

Geography

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Where Rees' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Merthyr Tydfil, Llangafelach, Aberdare and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carmarthenshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
3 Llangafelach Glamorganshire
4 Aberdare Glamorganshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carmarthenshire 026 Carmarthenshire
2 Carmarthenshire 016 Carmarthenshire
3 Carmarthenshire 011 Carmarthenshire
4 Carmarthenshire 010 Carmarthenshire
5 Carmarthenshire 015 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rees

These lists show first names that appear often with the Rees surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rees

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rees, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Rees surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Rees household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Rees is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rees is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rees falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rees is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Rees, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Rees

The surname REES is of Welsh origin, deriving from the Welsh word "rhys" meaning ardor or enthusiasm. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century in the counties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire in South Wales.

The name is thought to have been initially a Welsh personal name, likely derived from the Welsh word "rhys" or "res" meaning ardent or fiery. It was later adopted as a hereditary surname during the medieval period when surnames became more commonplace.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname REES can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a person named Rees ap Griffith is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname or a patronymic by the late 12th century.

The REES surname is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and tenants ordered by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Rees" in the records for the county of Gloucestershire.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname REES. One of the earliest was Sir Rice ap Thomas (c. 1449-1525), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of the Roses. Another notable figure was Morgan Rees (1536-1599), a Welsh Protestant reformer and Bishop of Bangor.

Other famous individuals with the surname REES include Thomas Rees (1777-1864), a Welsh clergyman and author, and William Rees (1836-1912), a Welsh journalist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Montgomery Boroughs.

In more recent times, one of the most prominent bearers of the REES surname was Merlyn Rees (1920-2006), a British Labour politician who served as Home Secretary under Prime Minister James Callaghan in the late 1970s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rees families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rees surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Glamorgan leads with 11,657 Rees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.34x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 11,657 26.34x
Carmarthenshire 4,201 39.22x
Pembrokeshire 1,932 23.92x
Monmouthshire 1,644 8.95x
Cardiganshire 1,561 25.18x
Middlesex 758 0.30x
Brecknockshire 454 8.93x
Montgomeryshire 448 7.69x
Lancashire 354 0.12x
Gloucestershire 326 0.65x
Surrey 311 0.25x
Yorkshire 273 0.11x
Merionethshire 268 5.76x
Hampshire 137 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 134 1.30x
Kent 124 0.14x
Staffordshire 110 0.13x
Devon 104 0.20x
Radnorshire 103 5.02x
Durham 101 0.13x
Cheshire 97 0.17x
Cornwall 90 0.31x
Somerset 75 0.18x
Essex 73 0.15x
Warwickshire 73 0.11x
Shropshire 71 0.32x
Denbighshire 69 0.72x
Flintshire 48 0.70x
Northumberland 46 0.12x
Herefordshire 42 0.40x
Norfolk 39 0.10x
Sussex 38 0.09x
Cumberland 34 0.16x
Wiltshire 29 0.13x
Worcestershire 28 0.08x
Derbyshire 20 0.05x
Royal Navy 20 0.66x
Dorset 17 0.10x
Lincolnshire 15 0.04x
Berkshire 14 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.04x
Anglesey 11 0.24x
Northamptonshire 11 0.05x
Hertfordshire 10 0.06x
Lanarkshire 10 0.01x
Suffolk 9 0.03x
Angus 7 0.03x
Perthshire 6 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.03x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.03x
Morayshire 5 0.13x
Renfrewshire 4 0.02x
Bedfordshire 3 0.02x
Channel Islands 2 0.03x
Leicestershire 2 0.01x
Oxfordshire 2 0.01x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.00x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Fife 1 0.01x
Inverness-shire 1 0.01x
Isle of Man 1 0.02x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ystradyfodwg in Glamorgan leads with 1,173 Rees' recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.22x.

Place Total Index
Ystradyfodwg 1,173 30.22x
Merthyr Tydfil 1,093 25.70x
Llanelly 998 41.37x
Aberdare 884 29.10x
Clase 703 42.73x
Swansea Town 641 17.67x
Bedwellty 472 14.55x
Llanguick 429 54.11x
Llanwonno 419 26.35x
Llantrisant 308 27.62x
Neath 284 31.54x
Llandebie 266 85.63x
Carmarthen St Peter 249 27.20x
Cwmdu 249 46.19x
Michaelstone Super Avon 246 51.35x
Pembrey 225 45.68x
Gelligaer 224 22.17x
Llandilo Fawr 221 46.28x
Llansamlet Higher 211 63.91x
Margam 205 41.54x
Cardiff St Mary 197 8.08x
Cardiff St John 188 13.01x
Llansamlet Lower 170 42.44x
Swansea Higher 165 35.80x
Roath 162 8.06x
Llantwit Lower 157 40.37x
Aberystruth 156 9.63x
Llandaff 156 10.60x
Eglwysilan 152 19.80x
Llanedy 151 74.85x
St John Near Swansea 151 27.60x
Trevethin 150 8.65x
Bettws 148 97.00x
Pembroke St Mary 144 13.85x
Llangadock 139 47.08x
Briton Ferry 137 25.95x
Llanrhidian Higher 136 48.39x
St Woollos 135 6.58x
Llanarth 127 72.81x
Aberavon 123 30.21x
St Dogmells 121 56.38x
Llangynwyd Higher 116 54.58x
Llangyfelach 112 67.58x
Cilybebill 110 65.15x
Kenarth 110 74.16x
Llantwit Vairdre 110 22.12x
Mynyddyslwyn 109 15.04x
Llangennech 108 62.96x
Coedfrank 107 34.90x
St Davids 107 58.54x
Lower Ystradgynlais 103 32.85x
Rhyndwyclydach 103 33.55x
Tenby St Mary In 103 25.05x
St Pancras London 102 0.50x
Lambeth 100 0.45x
Blaenhonddan 99 48.06x
Llandilo Talybont 98 42.18x
Llangendeirne 94 47.33x
Aberystwith 91 17.05x
Llanstadwell 88 33.34x
Swansea St Thomas 86 19.35x
Llandyssil 85 32.80x
Llanwenog 80 59.03x
Islington London 77 0.31x
Oystermouth 71 20.74x
Llanarthney 70 43.33x
Loughor 69 29.37x
Newcastle Higher 69 22.96x
Llanidloes 68 15.75x
Llanover 67 10.68x
Tythegston Higher 67 49.88x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 66 1.41x
Llangunnor 66 69.35x
Portsea 66 0.65x
Penboyr 65 58.10x
Tref Eglwys 65 40.92x
Treleachar Bettws 64 55.27x
Kidwelly 63 28.81x
Mawr 63 67.62x
Toxteth Park 63 0.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Rees surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 2,461
Elizabeth 1,340
Margaret 1,037
Sarah 828
Ann 788
Jane 621
Hannah 446
Catherine 442
Anne 397
Martha 297
Rachel 291
Eliza 194
Ellen 175
Annie 157
Alice 116
Esther 108
Maria 108
Harriet 105
Eleanor 99
Emily 91
Edith 83
Charlotte 82
Gwenllian 82
Emma 80
Margret 71
Louisa 65
Anna 54
Florence 53
Frances 51
Elizth. 50
Ruth 46
Agnes 45
Caroline 45
Rebecca 41
Susannah 41
Cathrine 40
Ada 39
Lucy 37
Margt. 37
Sophia 37
Susan 36
Fanny 35
Lydia 35
Amelia 33
Gwen 33
Kate 32
Jennet 30
Matilda 28
Rachael 27
Margaretta 26

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Rees surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 2,016
William 1,740
David 1,520
Thomas 1,373
Evan 383
James 353
Rees 320
Richard 283
Henry 273
Daniel 272
George 265
Edward 253
Morgan 201
Joseph 170
Benjamin 157
Charles 137
Samuel 119
Lewis 105
Robert 95
Wm. 91
Isaac 90
Arthur 72
Alfred 69
Frederick 69
Griffith 67
Walter 65
Thos. 64
Edwin 57
Phillip 55
Albert 54
Jenkin 45
Owen 41
Herbert 37
Edmund 34
Philip 32
Hugh 31
Llewellyn 31
Howell 29
Ernest 27
Harry 26
Gomer 24
Jacob 24
Josiah 24
Enoch 23
Francis 23
Gwilym 23
Jno. 22
Rowland 22
Joshua 21
Tom 21

FAQ

Rees surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rees surname in 1881?

In 1881, 26,024 people were recorded with the Rees surname. That placed it at #126 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rees surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 33,204 in 2016. That gives Rees a modern rank of #160.

What does the Rees surname mean?

A Welsh surname derived from the given name Rhys, meaning "enthusiastic" or "ardent."

What does the Rees map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rees bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.