Last name: Rees

Recorded as Rice, Ryce, Rhys, Reasce, Reece, Rees and Reese, this is regarded as a Welsh surname but is equally English. It originates from the pre 7th century Olde English personal name Ris or Rhys, meaning "ardour or sometimes "fiery warrior". The name first appears as "Hris" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles for the county of Cambridgeshire, in the year 1052, and as Rees in the Domesday Book of Cheshire, dated 1086. It was also the name borne by the last ruler of an independent Kingdom of Wales, Rhys ap Tewder, who died in 1093, after unsuccessfully opposing the Norman advance. The surname was first recorded at the beginning of the 13th Century (see below), and other early recordings include: John Rees, who appeared in the 1288 Fine Court Rolls of Suffolk, and Walter Rys, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327. In 1536, Richard Rice or Price was the abbot of Conway in Wales, John Ryce appears in the Hearth Tax rolls of Suffolk in 1524, whilst on August 29th 1591, Griphin Rice and Agnes Careless were married at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. An interesting namebearer was Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762 - 1844), who founded the (Irish) Christian Brothers Order in County Waterford in 1808. A coat of arms of the family has the blazon of a silver shield charged with an erminois chevron cotised black between three ravens. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Res. This was dated 1203, in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, during the reign of King John of England, 1199 - 1216. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Visitor Comments

christopher rees
That IS Welsh. It's Welsh for intensity, zeal, ardor, enthusiasm, that sort of thing. If ever there was a distictly Welsh name, Rees (et al) is it.

Tom Rees
My distant relations have a surname of PUSHEE, the father was JOHN PUSHEE and was born approx. 1806 and lived around 1941 at Bethnal Green London. He had 8 children so I am sure that there now must be a good number of PUSHEE around.

martin rees
My grandfather often told me and my brother as children that our family name dates back to a welsh prince so much so he wished to call my brother Tewder. I'd say Rice, Ryce, Rhys, Reasce, Reece, Rees and Reese were welsh names as my family (fathers side) still live in the same area of wales that they have for about the last 900 or so years.

Gareth J. Rees
My family come from Cowbridge, Wales, and they have been there for God knows how long. Look at how many Rees businesses there are in Wales.Long live Rees, long live Wales..........

Virginia Rees
I think is a brillant name. I'm pleased to have it Virginia Rees

Lauren Rees
awesome.. I'd kind of like to meet some of my rees fam from Wales. My family moved to America at some point and for all I know my grandfather was the first Rees to come over here.. I very much doubt that, but I dont know hardly anything about the history of my family and this is the first time I've even looked it up. All I know is that Rees spelled the way that it is, is pretty uncommon over here. I don't know if I've ever met anyone personally outside of my family with the same last name. Reese is a lot more common. It would be cool to take a trip back to Wales though!

Vicky Dykes was Rees
my maiden name was Rees and i live in Wales, My Rees family moved to America in 1900's although my g.g grandfather worked in America and married an American woman before moving back to South Wales. Some of their children emigrated to America. Galveston, texas i think they went but others lived in Cueros and some moved to Canada. Try searching familysearch.org its a free website and you may find out things about your ancestry.

Kenny Rees
Never thought my name was Welsh. I mean I live in the Netherlands and was also born there. I was just googling my name and this appeared. Maybe I also have my roots back there, guess I'll never know.

Kenny Rees
my father said that rees, (Rhys) come froms royalty... any comments? haha he also said it dated back to Cyrus Rhys in B.C time

Darren Rees
well i rtied to chase back the name rees, and the furthest name back i could get to was in the year 997ad, and it was a man by the name of "rhys coch", meaning red rees. and he fought the english many of times. and was the prince of wales.

martin rees
Yes kenny your great, great, great, great, great, great (so on and so) ancestor Tewder (Prince/King/Ruler of independant Wales) died in battle against the Normans when they attempted an invasion of Wales. Did you guys also know there is a town of Rees in Germany, dont ask me how that came to be though as I havent a clue.

Elliot Rees
Excellent look at all these Rees's. My family came from the Bridge-end area of Wales. We now live in England Up the Rees's and good luck to you all.

Debbie House
Elliot, my maiden name was Rees and i believe we came from Bridgend too. We are supposed to be connected to Court Colman, just outside Bridgend. If this rings a bell with anyone, please get in touch!

Phil
Hi Elliot Its Bridgend not Bridge-end and it has a lot of the Rees family in the area. As well as Major Rees variant. My family are from just up the valley from a place called Llangywyd just outside Maesteg. Hello Gareth my Brothers name is also gareth and he went to Cowbridge Gramer, would be strange if you knew him !

Brian Rees
So far this has been the most informative site, as almost all other sites require you to pay to find out information about your own last name. My grandfather, Rex Rees was the first born Rees in America that I know of. Apparently his parents migrated here from somewhere in Europe. I've only met one other Rees in California, but have met many Reece's, and went to grade school with a Rhys that I can remember. My Rees family is diluted as my mother is Thai/Chinese, and father is a big mix of scandinavian descent (Welsh, German, English, etc.) I am very proud of our name! I'm very curious to know what the history is behind my fellow Rees's!

Melissa Roberts
My great grandparents had the surname of Rees. They emmigrated to America from South Wales back in the 18 hundreds.I believe from a town called ,Morriston.They moved to Indianna and my great uncle grew up there and had a job in Pensylvania in the steelworks. My grandmother was born there but she returned along with her mum , to Morriston after the death of her father. In Morriston, she met a young man with the surname Rees, married him and was a Rees before and a Rees after her marriage.My son married an American and lives in Colorado. My new grandson is called , Rhys in memory of my grandparents, Lilian and Ernest Rees.

Susan Winch
My mother was Sadie Rees, and is descended from a William Rees, born 1804 in Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire, Wales, who was transported to Van Dieman's Land in 1838, aboard the Coromandel. He left behind two sons - one stayed in Wales (my direct ancestor) and a John Rees, who emigrated to Pa, USA in 1866. So I have relatives across the States, in Wales & England, and somewhere in Australia! I am still tring to find my Aussie relatives! So if this is familiar, get in touch! We Rees' are proud descendants of a grand surname - Fiery Warriors!

daniel j rees
daniel james rees here born and raised in australia son of norman trevor rees also born and raised in melbourne australia van dieman's land is now known as tasmania in the 1800s it was home to the most aweful penal colonies

Andrew Bryant
Hi all, I was interested to know if any of you knew of a connection between the English/American Royse (Royse) family name and the Welsh Rhys/Rice/Rees name. I know my whole father's side is from the British Isles, and I can only go back so far as a Robert Royce, born 1603 in Martock, Somerset, England.

Phil Rees
Hi melissa Just a bit of info that Morriston is an outta suburb of Swansea in south wales : )

Vicky Dykes (Rees)
My maiden name is Rees, In 1875 my ggg grandfather William Rees had moved from Swansea and was a customs officer living in Galveston texas, where he married Jennie Spence. They had a son in texas Charles Wharton Rees in 1878 and then moved back to Swansea, they then had a number of children and moved to Port Talbot. Some of their children and grandchildren emigrated to america, canada and australia. Would love to get in touch with anybody with connections.

Huw Rees
this is a welsh name ,"Rees," as in the son of Rees, that was the welsh way.

Dakota Rees
Hello, great to hear about the history of us :)