Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as

Rhys ap Tewdwr Rhys ap Tewdwr (c. 1040 – 1093) was a king of Deheubarth in Wales and member of the Dinefwr dynasty, a branch descended from Rhodri the Great. He was born in the area which is now Carmarthenshire and died at the battle of Brecon in April 10 ...

. It is pronounced in North Wales, in

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, and in English. Anglicised forms of the name include Reece,

Rees Rees may refer to: Places * Rees, Germany, a city on the lower Rhine * Rees, Illinois, United States, a community in the Jacksonville, Illinois micropolitan area * Rees River, a river in New Zealand * 4587 Rees, an Amor asteroid Other uses * Re ...

, Reese and Rice.

People with the given name

History

* Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132–1197), 12th-century ruler of southern Wales * Sir Rhys ap Gruffydd (died 1356), 14th-century Welsh nobleman * Rhys ap Gruffydd (rebel) (1508–1531), executed 16th-century Welsh landowner *

(died 1093), 11th-century prince of southern Wales * Rhys ap Thomas (1449–1525), a Welsh soldier and landholder who was instrumental in the victory of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field *

Rhys Lewis (born 1532) Rhys Lewis (born by 1532), of Gladestry, Radnorshire, was a Welsh politician. He was the eldest son of Ieuan Lewis of Gladestry, MP for Radnorshire. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the leg ...

, MP for New Radnor Boroughs October 1553 and 1558 *

Rhys Hooe Rice Hooe was the name of three Virginia colonists, two of whom served in the colonial House of Burgesses, and became ancestors of a family of planters important in northern Virginia and southern Maryland. Their descendants Alexander Hooe, Bernar ...

(c. 1599 – after 1655), Virginia colonist from Wales

Modern times

* Rhys Bobridge (born 1981), Australian singer and dancer *

Rhys Chatham Rhys Chatham (born September 19, 1952) is an American composer, guitarist, trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist (flutes in C, alto and bass, keyboard), primarily active in avant-garde and minimalist music. He is best known for his "guitar or ...

(born 1952), American avant-garde "guitar orchestra" composer * Rhys (singer) (Rhys Clarstedt, born 1997), Swedish-American singer * Rhys Coiro (born 1979), American film actor and singer * Rhys Darby (born 1974), stand-up comedian from New Zealand * Rhys Davies (born 1985), Welsh golfer * Rhys Day (born 1982), Welsh footballer * Rhys Evans (born 1982), English footballer *

Rhys Fulber Nowell Rhys Fulber is a Canadian electronic musician and producer. He is a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium, along with Bill Leeb. He also records under his own name and under the name Conjure One. Biography Rhys Fulber was born in ...

(born 1970), Canadian musician ( Front Line Assembly) * Rhys Gemmell (born 1896), former tennis player from Australia * Rhys Hanbury (born 1985), Australian rugby league footballer * Rhys Hoskins (born 1993), American professional baseball player * Rhys Huber (born 1986), Canadian voice actor * Rhys Hughes (born 1966), Welsh writer * Rhys Ifans (born 1967), Welsh actor * Rhys Isaac, professor * Rhys James, English comedian * Rhys Jones (disambiguation), the name of several people * Rhys Jenkins (born 1990), rugby union player * Rhys Millen, car racer * Rhys Muldoon (born 1965), Australian actor * Rhys Oakley (born 1980), Wales international rugby union player *

Rhys Palmer Rhys Palmer (born 13 February 1989) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club, Greater Western Sydney Giants and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He won the ...

(born 1989), Australian rules footballer * Rhys Patchell Welsh rugby union player * Rhys Priestland (born 1987), Welsh rugby union player * Rhys Rhys-Williams (1865–1955), British Liberal Party politician * Rhys Stanley (born 1990), Australian rules footballer *

Rhys Taylor Rhys Francis Taylor (born 7 April 1990) is a Welsh professional Association football, footballer who last played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C., Bradford (Park Avenue). He has played for Wal ...

(born 1990), Welsh footballer * Rhys Thomas (comedian) (born 1978), English comedian and actor *

Rhys M. Thomas Rhys Muir Thomas (born 31 July 1982) is a former Wales international rugby union prop forward. Career Club career Thomas attended King Edward VII School in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa alongside Joe van Niekerk and Bryan Habana. Desp ...

(born 1982), Welsh international rugby union player * Rhys Wakefield (born 1988), Australian actor * Rhys Webb (born 1988), Welsh rugby union player * Rhys Wesser (born 1979), Australian professional rugby league footballer *

Rhys Williams (rugby union, born 1980) Gethin Rhys Williams (born 23 February 1980 in Cardiff) is a Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff Blues and won 44 caps for the Wales national rugby union team as a full-back and winger. During the 2005-2006 season Williams was the cap ...

, Welsh rugby player *

R. H. Williams (rugby union) Rhys Haydn Williams (14 July 1930 – 27 January 1993), born in Cwmllynfell, was a Welsh rugby union lock forward who gained 23 caps for Wales and ten consecutive caps for the British Lions. At club level he played primarily for Llanelli R ...

(1930–1993), Welsh rugby player

People with the middle name or compound last name

* Samaire Rhys Armstrong, (born 1980), American actress * Griff Rhys Jones (born 1953), Welsh comedian and presenter *

T. Rhys Thomas Thomas Rhys Thomas (born 23 April 1982 in Abercynon, Wales) is a former Wales International rugby player. His usual position was at hooker. Thomas made a try-scoring debut for the Cardiff Blues against Celtic Warriors on 27 December 2003. He ma ...

, Wales international rugby union player * John Rhys-Davies (born 1944), Welsh actor * Tim Rhys-Evans (born 1972), Welsh musician *

Brandon Rhys-Williams Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys-Williams, 2nd Baronet (14 November 1927 – 18 May 1988) was a British Conservative politician. Family background His father, Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, had been a Liberal MP. His mother, Juliet Rhys-Williams, was another ...

(1927–1988), British Conservative Party politician * Rhys Rhys-Williams (1865–1955), British Liberal Party politician * Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born 1977), Irish actor * John Rhys Plumlee (born 2001), American football quarterback for the

University of Central Florida Knights The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I ( FBS for football) as a member of the A ...

* * * Sophie, Countess of Wessex (born Sophie Rhys-Jones; 1965) Welsh member of the Commonwealth Royal Family

People with the surname

* Beti Rhys, (1907–2003), Welsh bookstore owner and author *

Elen Rhys Elen Rhys (born September 2, 1983) is a Welsh actress, known for her roles as Gwen in the 2011 film ''Panic Button'' and Miranda Blake in the BBC drama ''The Mallorca Files ''The Mallorca Files'' is a British police procedural television dra ...

, (born 1983), Welsh actress * Ernest Rhys (1859–1946), English writer * Gruff Rhys (born 1970), vocalist and guitarist * Jean Rhys (1890–1979), Caribbean writer * Sir

John Rhŷs Sir John Rhŷs, (also spelled Rhys; 21 June 1840 – 17 December 1915) was a Welsh scholar, fellow of the British Academy, Celticist and the first professor of Celtic at Oxford University. Early years and education He was born John Rees a ...

(1840–1915), Celtic scholar at Oxford *

John Llewellyn Rhys The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize was a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama) by an author from the Commonwealth aged 35 or under, written in English and published in the United Kingdo ...

, an airman memorialised by John Llewellyn Rhys prize *

Keidrych Rhys William Ronald Rhys Jones (26 December 1915 – 22 May 1987), who used the name Keidrych Rhys, was a Welsh literary journalist and editor, and a poet. He was editor of the periodical, ''Wales'', published from 1937 to 1949 and from 1958 to 19 ...

(1915–1987), Welsh literary journalist and editor * Matthew Rhys (born 1974), Welsh actor *

Morgan John Rhys Morgan John Rhys, also Rhees (8 December 1760 – 7 December 1804) was a Welsh radical evangelical Baptist minister. He preached the principles of the French Revolution, against slavery, and in favour of the reform of parliament. Life Morgan John ...

(1760–1804), Baptist minister * Paul Rhys (born 1963), Welsh television, film and theatre actor *

Phillip Rhys Phillip Rhys (born Philippe Chaudhary, 14 June 1974) is an English actor and filmmaker. Early life Phillip was born Philippe Chaudhary, the second of three sons. A South London native, Phillip's father was a Ugandan-born Punjabi Muslim, and h ...

(born 1974), English actor *

Siôn Dafydd Rhys Siôn Dafydd Rhys, in Latin Joannes David Rhaesus, also called John David Rhys, or John Davies (1534 – ), was a Welsh physician and grammarian. He wrote the first Welsh grammar in Latin (the first Welsh grammar in Latin, but not the first Welsh g ...

(1534 – c. 1609), Welsh physician and grammarian

Fictional characters

* Lt Cmdr Gen Rhys, from Star Trek Discovery, portrayed by

Patrick Kwok-Choon Patrick Kwok-Choon (born 19 November 1988) is a Canadian actor, best known for his recurring roles as Perry Crofte in the television adaptation of the horror Western comic book miniseries '' Wynonna Earp'' and as lieutenant commander Gen Rhy ...

. *Rhys (Rhysand), from the series '' A Court of Thorns and Roses'' by Sarah J. Maas * Knight Rhys, a member of the Brotherhood of steel in Fallout 4 * Rhys Winterborne from Marrying Winterborne, by Lisa Kleypas * Rhys, in the '' Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance'' video game * Rhys, in the Merry Gentry book series by Laurell K. Hamilton * Rhys, the central character of the first generation of '' Phantasy Star III'' * Rhys Strongfork, a main player-character from the '' Tales from the Borderlands'' video game, CEO of the Atlas corporation in ''

Borderlands 3 ''Borderlands 3'' is an action role-playing first-person shooter video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K. It is a sequel to 2012's ''Borderlands 2'', and the fourth entry in the main ''Borderlands'' series. ''Borderlands ...

'' video game * Rhys, in ''

The Two Princesses of Bamarre ''The Two Princesses of Bamarre'' is a 2001 novel by Gail Carson Levine, the author of Ella Enchanted and several other books. The story revolves around the lives of two sisters who are very close, but as different as night and day. When one o ...

'' by Gail Carson Levine * Rhys Ashworth, on the British soap ''Hollyoaks'' * Rhys Dahl, in ''

Switched Switched may refer to: * Switched (band), an American music group * ''Switched'' (novel), first book in the young adult Trylle series by Amanda Hocking * ''Switched!'' (American TV series) * ''Switched!'' (Singaporean TV series) * "Switched" (' ...

'' by Amanda Hlcking * Rhys Dallows, from the video game '' Star Wars: Starfighter'' *

Rhys Lawson Rhys Lawson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'', played by Ben Barber. The actor's casting was announced on 18 May 2011 and he began filming his first scenes the week before opposite established cast members A ...

, from the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' * Rhys Lewis, the eponymous subject of the 1885 novel by Daniel Owen * Rhys Maelwaedd, a character of the

Deverry Cycle The Deverry Cycle is a series of Celts, Celtic fantasy novels by Katharine Kerr set in the fictional land of Deverry. As of February 2020, sixteen books have been published in the series. The series is written in a non-linear style: the principa ...

book series *

Rhys Rhysson The Discworld is the fictional setting for all of Terry Pratchett's ''Discworld'' fantasy novels. It consists of a large disc (complete with edge-of-the-world drop-off and consequent waterfall) resting on the backs of four huge elephants which ar ...

, the Low King of the dwarfs in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books * Rhys Williams, in the BBC science fiction series ''Torchwood'' * Rhys, an elvish hunter in the Gilt-Leaf tribe, from the '' Lorwyn'' and '' Shadowmoor'' blocks of the collectible card game, '' Magic: The Gathering'' * Rhys Sutherland, in the ''Home and Away'' television series

The patronymic form

The surnames Price, Prys, Pris and Preece are derived from the Welsh ''ap Rhys'' meaning 'son of Rhys'. Notable people with this surname include: * John Prise or Price (1501–1555), also called Syr Siôn ap Rhys, Welsh scholar and author of the first book to be printed in Welsh, * Hywel ap Rhys (c. 840 – 886), ancient Welsh king of Glywysing * Tomos Prys (c. 1564 – 1634), Welsh soldier, sailor and poet