REECE
Reece is a surname of Welsh origin, evolving from Celtic roots and associated with the personal name Rhys, which translates into English as enthusiasm or ardour. As a patronymic name it originally served to identify the descendants of an individual named Rhys, reflecting a common practice in Welsh naming tradition.
Variants of the surname have appeared throughout history, including Rice, Rhys, Reasce, Rees(e), and the modern spelling Reece. These different forms are found in early documents, such as the Anglo‑Saxon Chronicles of 1052, wherein the name appears as Hris, and the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as Rees in the region of Cheshire.
One of the earliest historical figures associated with the name was Rhys ap Tewder, the last independent ruler of a Welsh kingdom, who died in 1093 after resisting Norman expansion. The surname itself enters the historical record at the beginning of the thirteenth century; for example, John Rees is listed in the 1288 Fine Court Rolls of Suffolk, and Walter Rys appears in the 1327 Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire.
Notable bearers of the Reece name include Richard Rice (or Price) who served as Abbot of Conway, Wales, in 1536, a marriage recorded for Griphin Rice and Agnes Careless in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, London, on 29 August 1591, and the Irish-born missionary Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762–1844), founder of the Christian Brothers Order in County Waterford in 1808.
A recognised coat of arms for a Welsh family bearing the name features a silver shield with an erminois chevron, cotised in black, situated between three black ravens. The crest is a lion rampant in its natural colour, holding a black bar shot in its forepaw.
The earliest surviving spelling of the family name is recorded as William Res in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire dated 1203, during the reign of King John (1199–1216). This indicates that the name had already attained a degree of establishment in English administrative records by the early twelfth century. In contemporary times, Reece remains a relatively common surname in Wales and among individuals of Welsh descent throughout the United Kingdom and the wider world, reflecting its enduring cultural heritage rooted in Celtic tradition and Christian faith.
Typical given names associated with the Reece surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Claire
- Emma
- Helen
- Joan
- Judith
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sharon
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Race
- Raese
- Raice
- Raise
- Rase
- Raza
- Raze
- Reace
- Reader
- Rease
- Rece
- Reci
- Reeces
- Reeck
- Reecse
- Reeke
- Rees
- Reese
- Reeses
- Reess
- Rehse
- Reice
- Reis
- Reise
- Reish
- Reiss
- Resce
- Rese
- Ress
- Resse
- Resue
- Reus
- Reyce
- Reyse
- Reyss
- Rezae
- Rezaee
- Rheese
- Rice
- Riece
- Ries
- Riese
- Riis
- Rise
- Roese
- Roos
- Rous
- Rouse
- Rowse
- Royce
- Ruis
- Ruiz
- Ruse
- Russ
- Russo
- Ryce
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Reece in...
Braille
⠗⠑⠑⠉⠑
Morse
.-...-.-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 5,885 people named Reece in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,613th most common surname in Britain. Around 90 in a million people in Britain are named Reece.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Wales
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Welsh
Famous people named Reece
- Damon Reece - Musician
- Carmen Reece - Singer-songwriter
- Gordon Reece - Businessman, journalist, political/public relations strategist (1929 to 2001)
- Gil Reece - Welsh football player (1942 to 2003)
- Andy Reece - Football player
- Luis Reece - Cricketer
- Brian Reece - Actor (1913 to 1962)
- Paul Reece - Football player, goalkeeper
- Alan Reece - Engineer and businessperson (1927 to 2012)
- Gerald Reece - Colonial administrator (1897 to 1985)
- Lewis Reece - Welsh rugby union and rugby league football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.