Reese for a boy?

Keithashleyl · April 2013

I love the name Reece for a boy but I know it's trended toward a female name lately. I like it for two reasons

1 I grew up with an old man neighbor named Reece Day that was like a grandpa and so sweet

2 It means runner which my husband and I have joked since our sonos that our baby was like a little runner because he wiggles so much.

So my question is it ok as a boy and for a boy should it be spelled differently?? Reis? Rhys?

Thank you all so much!!!

kaylynne · April 2013

Rhys would be my first choice.

Reece looks more masculine than Reese to me, but I'm not sure why.

sarack · April 2013

when I hear reese I think of witherspoon which is girly. I agree though that reece looks more manly.

CeCe8579 · April 2013

kaylynne:
Rhys would be my first choice.Reece looks more masculine than Reese to me, but I'm not sure why.

I agree.

Kate070 · April 2013

It's definitely a boy's name to me! I also prefer the traditional Welsh spelling, Rhys.

That.Just.Happened · April 2013

I love it, when spelled Rhys.

strawberrytree · April 2013

I think of Reese/Reece/Rhys as an exclusively male name, which it certainly is in the UK. I've seen the name spelled all three ways several times but I think my order of preference for spelling is Reece, Rhys, Reese.

In reference to the meaning though, most reputable sources cite it as 'enthusiasm'. There was a post about this a week or two ago and the poster said she got the meaning from The Bump. I don't think TB's information is accurate in this case. Try www.behindthename.com if accurate meanings are important to you. Your little guy could still be showing enthusiasm though, right?

Bexx24 · April 2013

I love Reece for a boy, but definitely Reece/Rhys spellings.

WashingtonQueen · April 2013

The original masculine name Rhys is awesome!

Zimger · April 2013

I prefer Rhys.

I agree with the previous post about the meaning. I do believe it means Enthusiasm.

GalLaura · April 2013

My friends son is named Reese and I think it's a masculine and great name!

Blondangel · April 2013

strawberrytree:
I think of Reese/Reece/Rhys as an exclusively male name, which it certainly is in the UK. I've seen the name spelled all three ways several times but I think my order of preference for spelling is Reece, Rhys, Reese.

Exactly

TamboPowell · April 2013

I had a student named Rhys. As masculine as they come! I never made a Reese Witherspoon connection, but if it were spelled Reese or Reece I may have.

mrstengallonhat1 · April 2013

Definitely Rhys for a boy. While I do love this name, I tend to associate it more with a girl now.

stargazer08 · April 2013

Mozzy24:
I love Reece for a boy, but definitely Reece/Rhys spellings.

This.

jallascalla · April 2013

I love Rhys, and it is all boy to me, but I admit I have a son with this name. He had a best friend in his preschool class called Reis, also a boy. It's a great boy's name with a long history.

kimmycup · April 2013

I only know one Reese and its a boy, so I usually think boy when I hear this name. I do like the spelling Rhys though for a boy.

msmerymac · April 2013

I like the spellings in this order: Rhys, Reese, Reece.

Reese Witherspoon's name is her mother's maiden name. Her real name is Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. She's also from the south, where using maiden names/family surnames as first names for both sexes is very common. So I don't think just because this one female celebrity has the name that it makes it "girly." I know a girl from the South named Stuart (I think it's her middle name, technically). I would never say that makes it unisex.

LaineyPaney · April 2013

I had a great Uncle Reece, so it's odd to me that its a girl name now. I love Reece for a boy!

hmp1 · April 2013

It was on our list for #2. We couldn't agree on a spelling though. Rhys was a little too different for us and I was worried about him always having to spell his name for people or help people pronounce it. But even with Reese/Reece there was not a clear cut way people would normally spell it so we crossed it off our list. But I do really like the name for a boy.

hmp1 · April 2013

msmerymac:
Reese Witherspoon's name is her mother's maiden name. Her real name is Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. She's also from the south, where using maiden names/family surnames as first names for both sexes is very common. So I don't think just because this one female celebrity has the name that it makes it "girly." I know a girl from the South named Stuart (I think it's her middle name, technically). I would never say that makes it unisex.

I would never say one celebrity makes a name unisex. But the fact is that Reese/Reece/Rhys is in the 100's for girl names and 400's for boy names. That makes it unisex.

jallascalla · April 2013

hmp&mrj:
msmerymac:
Reese Witherspoon's name is her mother's maiden name. Her real name is Laura Jean Reese Witherspoon. She's also from the south, where using maiden names/family surnames as first names for both sexes is very common. So I don't think just because this one female celebrity has the name that it makes it "girly." I know a girl from the South named Stuart (I think it's her middle name, technically). I would never say that makes it unisex.
I would never say one celebrity makes a name unisex. But the fact is that Reese/Reece/Rhys is in the 100's for girl names and 400's for boy names. That makes it unisex.

I think the popularity of Reese Witherspoon had something to do with its rise in popularity for girl names here in the US, but I try not to hold it against her.

Rhys for a boy has been gaining "popularity" in the US over the last few years, meaning it has dropped from the 800s when I was looking at it six yrs ago to the 400's now on the SS name list. It is very well known/used in the UK, Ireland, and Australia (top 50-100 name for boys) -- people there think it is crazy that it is being used as a girl's name over here.

MGHandy04 · September 2013

Reese witherspoons real name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon. Her mothers maiden name was Reese. So, I feel it doesn't count as her name. I always liked the name Reese for a boy. It has always felt like a boy name to me and I always thought it was an odd name for a girl.

mh89 · September 2013

Kate070 said:

It's definitely a boy's name to me! I also prefer the traditional Welsh spelling, Rhys.

Agreed!

AllyTales · September 2013

I love this name for a male, it's a lot more masculine to me. I don't care for it on girls.

But unlike the majority, I don't care for Rhys at all. I like Reece/Reese.

musicnmoon123 · September 2013

I love Reece! It was on my short list, but DH vetoed it because you can't tell when saying the name if it's a boy or girl. (Like Erin/Aaron). I hate that so many boy names have been taken over by the girls.

BlessedMomma07 · September 2013

Reese is what we plan to name this baby if it is a girl. I do like the name for a boy too but prefer Rhys as the spelling so that it is clear that it is a boy. It just seems more masculine to me

I actually know a girl with Reece spelling. For whatever reason I don't like it spelled with a C for either sex.

Resse for a girl and Rhys for a boy, that's just my opinion.

mrstengallonhat1 · September 2013

I'm a big fan of Rhys <--spelled this way.

magsugar13 · September 2013

I don't like this name on boy or girl..i just don't get the love

TonyaCody06 · September 2013

Reese is my DD1's name. I view it as a girl name obviously

spicysurro · September 2013

I love the name but spelled Rhys!

NerdyLucy · September 2013

jallascalla said:

I love Rhys, and it is all boy to me

This.

neverblushed · September 2013

Love Rhys.

futurehuber · September 2013

I love Rhys for a boy and wish I could use it too but my BFF named her DD Reese. =( I like the Rhys spelling.

==N== · September 2013

I really like Rhys for a boy.

talanswife · September 2013

I agree with everyone saying Reese seems feminine and Reece and Rhys are masculine. I also like Rhys the most.

Dr.Loretta · September 2013

I like it, with any of the spellings, for a boy.

macska3 · September 2013

I don't understand why people see this as a girl's name. It made me sad that you had to add "for a boy" in the title.

anyway, I'd go with Rhys, maybe Reese. I strongly dislike the spelling Reece.

allardr · September 2013

I have it on my boys name list but spelled: Reece.

Scarlett&Gatsby · September 2013

Rhys is the most obvious masculine spelling for this name.

We can squabble over whether Reese is Reese Witherspoon's "real" name, but it's what she goes by, and her celebrity has obviously made it a very popular choice for girls.

You can spell the name how you want, but I think taking a cue from our current culture (by avoiding the Reese/Reece spelling for a boy) would avoid confusion for him in the long run.

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