NameCensus.

UK surname

Rhys

An anglicized spelling of the Welsh surname referring to enthusiasm or ardor.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Rhys surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 471, ranked #10,456, up from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Aberdare and Cardiff St John and St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Cardiff and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Rhys is 478 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 282.9%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

471

2016, ranked #10,456

Peak year

2014

478 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Rhys had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 471 in 2016, ranked #10,456.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Rhys surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Rhys surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Rhys 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 86 #22,810
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 195 #15,380
1911 historical 194 #15,250
1997 modern 353 #12,096
1998 modern 376 #11,918
1999 modern 399 #11,463
2000 modern 396 #11,486
2001 modern 374 #11,805
2002 modern 382 #11,839
2003 modern 377 #11,762
2004 modern 366 #12,053
2005 modern 373 #11,794
2006 modern 393 #11,398
2007 modern 396 #11,459
2008 modern 402 #11,419
2009 modern 419 #11,282
2010 modern 425 #11,423
2011 modern 421 #11,379
2012 modern 449 #10,675
2013 modern 476 #10,385
2014 modern 478 #10,428
2015 modern 468 #10,518
2016 modern 471 #10,456

Geography

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Where Rhys' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Aberdare, Cardiff St John and St Mary, Swansea and Newcastle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Cardiff and Gwynedd. 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 Aberdare Glamorganshire
3 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire
4 Swansea Glamorganshire
5 Newcastle Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ceredigion 002 Ceredigion
2 Cardiff 034 Cardiff
3 Cardiff 035 Cardiff
4 Cardiff 040 Cardiff
5 Gwynedd 007 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Rhys

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Rhys

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Rhys, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Rhys surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Rhys household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Rhys is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Rhys is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Rhys falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Rhys is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Rhys

The surname Rhys originates from Wales, where it has been documented since the medieval period. It is a Welsh patronymic name derived from the personal name Rhys, which is believed to have originated from the Old Welsh name Res or Ris. This name is thought to be related to the Old Welsh word "rhi," meaning "ardor" or "enthusiasm."

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Rhys can be found in medieval Welsh manuscripts and records dating back to the 13th century. One notable historical reference is the 14th-century Welsh chronicle "Brut y Tywysogion," which mentions several individuals with the name Rhys.

In the late 13th century, a prominent Welsh leader named Rhys ap Gruffydd (c. 1232-1292) played a significant role in the struggles against English rule in Wales. He was the ruler of the Kingdom of Deheubarth and is considered one of the last native Welsh princes to hold significant authority.

Another notable figure with the surname Rhys was Sir Rhys ap Thomas (c. 1449-1525), a Welsh soldier and landholder who fought for Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII) at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. He was instrumental in securing the throne for the Tudor dynasty and was rewarded with lands and titles.

In the 18th century, Thomas Rhys (1708-1786) was a Welsh clergyman and author who wrote several works on Welsh history and antiquities, including "The Cambrian Register" and "The History of the Episcopal Palace at Abergwili."

During the 19th century, Sir John Rhys (1840-1915) was a renowned Welsh scholar and Celtic philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Celtic languages and literature. He served as the first principal of Jesus College, Oxford, and was knighted for his academic achievements.

The surname Rhys has also been associated with various place names in Wales, such as Rhyspennau and Rhysbont, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Rhys families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Rhys 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 45 Rhys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.54x.

County Total Index
Glamorgan 45 21.54x
Brecknockshire 30 125.05x
Middlesex 12 1.00x
Monmouthshire 11 12.68x
Gloucestershire 7 2.97x
Surrey 5 0.86x
Oxfordshire 4 5.40x
Kent 2 0.49x
Caernarfonshire 1 2.06x
Cardiganshire 1 3.42x
Cornwall 1 0.74x
Herefordshire 1 2.03x
Merionethshire 1 4.56x
Pembrokeshire 1 2.62x
Somerset 1 0.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penderyn in Brecknockshire leads with 26 Rhys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3939.39x.

Place Total Index
Penderyn 26 3939.39x
Neath 14 329.41x
Ystradyfodwg 10 54.56x
St Woollos 9 92.98x
Cheltenham 7 38.57x
Coyty Lower 7 514.71x
Aberdare 5 34.87x
Camberwell 5 6.52x
Llanbedr 4 3636.36x
Oxford St Giles 4 113.31x
Cardiff St John 3 43.99x
Teddington London 3 110.29x
Hackney London 2 2.97x
Llanwonno 2 26.63x
Margam 2 85.84x
St Pancras London 2 2.07x
Clerkenwell London 1 3.53x
Graig 1 256.41x
Hampstead London 1 5.35x
Hereford All Sts 1 44.44x
Islington London 1 0.86x
Llanbeblig 1 20.33x
Llanwenog 1 156.25x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 19.76x
Margate St John Baptist 1 13.33x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 4.98x
Mynyddyslwyn 1 29.24x
St Stephen 1 208.33x
Talyllyn 1 116.28x
Tenby St Mary In 1 51.55x
Tonbridge 1 6.78x
Westminster St 1 22.62x
Westminster St James 1 8.11x
Wick 1 666.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 5
Elizabeth 4
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Edith 3
Margaret 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Esther 2
Jane 2
Rachel 2
Ada 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Cecilia 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emmeline 1
Gertrude 1
Gwladys 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Isald 1
Jenette 1
Jennet 1
Louisa 1
Magdaline 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maude 1
Myfanwy 1
Olive 1
Oliven 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 5
John 5
Rees 5
Thomas 5
Morgan 4
William 4
Arthur 2
Owen 2
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
Benjn. 1
Charles 1
D. 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
Davis 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Gwilym 1
Hamblin 1
Howell 1
James 1
Jonathan 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Leyson 1
Lleyshon 1
Rd.L. 1
Rhys 1
Richard 1
Tudor 1
Walter 1
Watkin 1
Wintle 1

FAQ

Rhys surname: questions and answers

How common was the Rhys surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Rhys surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Rhys surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 471 in 2016. That gives Rhys a modern rank of #10,456.

What does the Rhys surname mean?

An anglicized spelling of the Welsh surname referring to enthusiasm or ardor.

What does the Rhys map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Rhys 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.