| Reese | Carys | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Ardour, enthusiasm | Love |
| Origin | Welsh | welsh |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | REESS | KA-ris |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1924 | 1991 |
| Peak year | 2012 (2,459) | 2006 (196) |
| In 2025 | 1,631 | 32 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Reese | Carys |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10,386 | 189 |
| 2010s | 20,182 | 933 |
| 2000s | 13,824 | 1,123 |
| 1990s | 372 | 82 |
| 1950s | 5 | 0 |
| 1920s | 6 | 0 |
From the Welsh Rhys, “ardour” or “enthusiasm.”
A modern Welsh name formed from the stem of the verb caru 'to love' (compare car 'beloved friend', cariad 'love'). A genuine Welsh 'love' root; the variant Cerys is read the same way.
Reese is more popular than Carys today: about 1,631 US babies were given the name Reese in 2025, compared with 32 named Carys.
Reese means Ardour, enthusiasm (Welsh origin), while Carys means Love (welsh origin).
In US records, Reese first appears in 1924 and Carys in 1991, so Reese has the longer recorded history.