Which Spelling of Name???

If you're going for a long "e" sound, then I'd go with Reece. If you want the pronounciation to be with a long "i" sound, then Rhys would be the way to go, IMHO.

The second spelling will probably be mispronounced A LOT! I would definately go with the first one.
Congratulations
A.

I love the traditional spelling of Rhys. It's more masculine and will be unique among all the little boys and girls named Reese, without being something weird and "out there."

By the way, I respect all the teachers we have here, but is it really that traumatic for teachers and kids to get the name straight on that first day of school? I remember kids correcting the teacher, the teacher would make some sort of phonetic spelling in the roll book next to the kid's name, and we'd all move on. Or maybe I'm just not remembering the hassles other kids had since S. was such an easy, and very common, name back when I was in school. :)

My 3 year old son is named Reese Michael. I got a little flack from people about naming him Reese, but it's the name my husband and I chose and it fits him to a T. Go w/ your gut. You will get a million different opinions about this and who cares about everyone elses opinion? It's your child and your choice to name him and spell the name the way you prefer. My uncle, who researches our family heritage (we're Scottish) spells my son's name Rhys on all of his birthday and Christmas cards, etc. (he's letting me know that's the spelling he prefers) and my sister in law laughed when we told her that his name would be Reese. I will tell you that the majority of people have LOVED his name and have had nothing but positive things to say about it. You have GREAT taste in names, I must say! :)

Go with the more obvious spelling and your child will thank you years later.

Rhys is from the name Emrhys. It is a Celtic name. My son's middle name is Rhys. There are a number of actors with the name Rhys. It is not that uncommon. Reese, to me, is a girls name - Reese Witherspoon and the name of a candy. To those that are concerned about the 'poor' guy having to explain how to spell his name - that is not the worst thing that can happen to someone. Once the correction is made, if someone pronounces it 'rice', the issue is over. I use my son's middle name in conjunction with his first name - I have never had anyone pronounce it rice. Rhys isn't a made up spelling like some common names are now being spelled to be to be different. It will be your personal preference as to how you want your son's name to be spelled.

wow 144 responses! i read about a study that showed that kids with "normally" spelled names did better in school and had more self confidence.

How about Rees or Reece Gavyn. A little twist on the spelling. I speeled my kids names different. It really comes down to what you like. Good Luck

This one's hard, but I think I'd go with Reese because it is spelled like it sounds. It will be easier on your child throughout his life. Rhys looks cools, but a lot of people are not familiar with that spelling and may pronounce it wrong, like "shys". Just my 2 cents. Either way, it is a nice name!

Reese for sure! Rhys looks like RYE to me.

Hi C.! My daughter's name is Reese, and when we were considering names, I had multiple people tell me that Reese was the "girl" spelling (like Reese Witherspoon) and ReeCe (Reece) is the boy spelling. My Mom is an elementary school counselor, and she says there is a little boy named "Reese" at her school and the mom didn't realize that this was the "girl" spelling. She is thinking of changing the spelling to Reece legally so he doesn't have to deal with the issue in the future. Just wanted to make you aware. E.

Definitely the traditional spelling - Reese. Otherwise people won't have a clue to to pronounce her name. I'd say "Ris" to the other one.

I understand you want to be different but think about other people too a bit when you choose your name (unless of course you want to be correcting all the time).

I like the Reece sugestion, original and not as complicated for others to spell? Good luck.

I think for a boy Rhys is a better spelling. When I see the name "Reese" - I think it's a girl, as in Reese Witherspoon.

And the spelling Rhys is becoming more and more common..... there's a famous actor now Jonathan Rhys Meyer - (he was in Bend It Like Beckham; August Rush; and now he's the star of that HBO series "The Tudors".

You go girl! You spell any which way you please. And your right, the negative repsonses. If you wanted that you'd ask my mom (or yours, you know what I mean). All the best.

definitely reese. I have a hard-to-spell name and have always hated it when it was misspelled or mispronounced. hope this helps. It is a beautiful name!!

Use Reese unless you want him to go through life constantly having to spell his name for people, getting mail with his name spelled incorrectly and people mispronouncing his name wrong a lot.

Reese Gavin. Had I not seen the other spelling I wouldn't have known how to pronounce Rhys.

Reese! You don't want him to have to correct the spelling for the rest of his life. It will be a constant irritation to him to have to do that. For boys, it's better to have common names so they won't get picked on and made fun of. Their little egos are fragile. They'll also go further in the business world with an easy name. That's my 2 cents!

Love Rhys...He will have to spell his name every day of his life though! I have to do that as well and my daughter will too, not a big deal.

I'd go with Reese. As a teacher, I can see Rhys being pronounced wrong (Ris or rys) and him having to correct or explain most of his life.

Congratulations!

I like Rhys. Pretty common in Europe. I will say that I have a very normal first name but my last name is not spelled anything like it sounds. I have a nephew and his name is spelled Aric and it is my brother's middle name and I the love unique spellings.

Just the name you love and there is nothing "stupid" about a name that is given out of love.

Reese :) It might be a pain for him to constantly tell people they mispelled his name if you go the other route.

What about Reece or Reice or Riece?

Reese Gavin so no one will mess the spelling up. Great name!

When I see Rhys I pronounce it "Rice". My vote would be the traditional Reese or Reece. Keep in mind, if you do a spelling too different - everyone will spell it wrong all the time! We have a Payton, and it always gets spelled Peyton!
Congratulations!
K.

No doubt about it....Reese. People all his life long will misspell the other one and mispronounce it and auuggghhhh. Reese will be classic and traditional and make a great attorney's name. haha But seriously, that's just trying too hard and for what reason? Yours, to be just different and creative? That's just selfish and not thinking about what it might be like for him...ALL HIS LIFE. Think about it. I'm not a young mother just spouting out. My "child" is 26. KAM

Hi C.,
I'd definitely go with Reece or Reese...one can look at it and immediately know how to pronounce it with a hard "s" sound at the end, which is more masculine. Rhys looks like it should be soft (because of the "h" in there). I look at it and want to pronounce it as "rise" (as in a high-rise building)...pretty for a girl, but not for a boy.

IMHO, a boy's name should be more straightforward and not so artsy/trendy...I'm pretty sure most boys themselves would agree ;-) and would prefer to not only not have their names mispronounced all of the time, but also not to have to spell it all of the time.

Just my thoughts. I hope this helps in your decision!
Good luck in your last trimester!!!
D.

Reese is a nice name, but i think of a girl when i hear that name. just something to consider.

Reese... I would not know how to say the other one.

Congrats on your new baby!

Rhys looks more like a boy and Reese definitely looks like a girl.
Although with Rhys,you will certainly get some "Rice" pronounciations upon first look at the name. What about spelling it Reece? The C is more masculine than S. Reece Gavyn.
You know, I have seen the name Rhys before( i think an actor) and I did not know until now that it was pronounced Reese.

C.,

First I wanted to tell you that I love this name and congrats!!
There is no doubt in my mind on the spelling that I would use. REESE !!!! 99.9% of his life, people will automatically ASSUME this is how his name is spelled. It will be something he will have to explain and deal with his ENTIRE LIFE if you spell it Rhys.
You asked and I am being as honest as I know how to be, as this is what I want when I ask for an opinion...HONESTY!! I have a feeling I won't be the only one with the same opinion.
Best Wishes and Take Care!

I love to spell differently, but I'm afraid if you do the RHYS it will be pronounced by many as "Rice". I would definately go with REESE. GOD BLESS AND CONGRATULATIONS!

I also vote for Reese :)

Congrats and cute name!

As much as I love unique spellings of names, I think that Rhys would confuse a lot of people. Not necessairly your son, since he will learn to spell it and pronounce it, but others will have the hard time. Good Luck with the Little one on the way!!!

Reese. Having an easily pronounced name is very helpful in business.

Reese...the other one will be mis-pronounced as RICE!

Good Luck...let us know which one you pick!

S.

I like Reese Gavin. I tend to go with the unusual way of doing things. You can see the way my parents spelled my name...

As a mom of 3, all older now(2 in college) and 30 year educator.... I know that unique names are a great idea & kids love having a name that is not often duplicated. Reese is relatively unique & not too common. DO NOT ruin the enjoyment of a special name with an awful, difficult to remember ....spelling. Really, don't. Reese is a common spelling & easy to remember. Think future business contacts for your child, etc Hope that helps.

I like Reese Gavin. The other name will cause confusion.

I vote for Reese. With Rhys, he will have to correct people his whole life!
Congratulations!!

Reese. Rhys looks like it is pronounced rice. As a former teacher, trust me, HE will appreciate having a name that everyone can pronounce without a problem. Love the name!!

Depends if you want him to be called Reese or 'Rice'? Cause that's how it would be read. I vote for Reese.

I would go with the more common Reese. People will mispell his name a lot if you go off the beaten path.

I love the R-H-Y-S spelling but everyone mispronounces it at first as "rise" or "rice". Love the spelling, though! If you choose it, just be prepared for a long time of mispronuciation, maybe even a lifetime...

Reese Gavin is my opinion. I agree that with Rhys people will call him Rice although I think it is a cool spelling.

If you must have a different spelling... I have also seen this name spelled Rhyss, Rece, Ryss, Rhees but these can also be confusing. If I saw the name Rece, I would scratch my head and then think, "Ray-chay?"

Good Luck and congratulations!
E.

Congratulations on your upcoming miracle! A very nice, strong name for your little man. Personally, I like the spelling Rhys Gavin. However, it is very possible that if spelled as such people will have a difficult time pronouncing it correctly and certainly spelling it correctly. Best wishes!

REESE would get my vote because the other way of spelling it reminds me of RHYS SYNDROME.

A Granny

Reese Gavin, because as a teacher I would not know how to pronouce Rhys and there are a lot of first days of school in your child's life! Congrats

Hi C.,
I vote for Reese Gavin. Let us know what your final decision is.
Congratulations!
R.

I personally would go with Reese, for the sake of simplicity. Years ago when I worked at a dr's. office, I vowed to spell my kids' names with a basic spelling because of all the confusion I saw with unusual spellings. I'm a teacher now and that belief is confirmed.

Reese. It is easier for people to recognize and pronounce and will be easier for him to spell as he learns to read!

Without a doubt...REESE. You may think the other spelling seems more unique now, but your son would fare much better with a name that is phonetically correct.

I think Reese because if it is spelled the other way when people try to read his name they might say it wrong. It is cool that you want to spell it differant though too.

Reese, although Rhys is creative, he may hate it as a result of teasing or constant correcting of others before being proud of it.

I love the name! I love the traditional spelling, but unfortunately, Americans don't know that name as well as people in the UK and Ireland do. At the same time, the phonetic spelling here in the US is more associated with women. I personally would go with Rhys, but he will have to explain it to Americans all his life, unless it becomes more popular here. He'll never have a problem in the UK or Ireland, though ;) Congrats and good luck!

go with the easiest, most recognizable form. I think it's bad enough to have to spell your last name all of the time, you shouldn't have to spell out your first name too. Go with REESE. You'll be able to get him the things that have names on them like a plate for his bike, a cup with his name, you know, all the things in kids stores. That's my 2 cents and best of luck to you and your family!!

I like Reese Gavin. If I had seen Rhys first, I wouldn't have known how to spell that. I love strange names/spellings too...my daughter is Brook (no "E" at the end) and my son is Kory, and my other son is Davis...however, I think it's important for people to be able to figure out the name from the spelling and I'm not sure you can with Rhys. If our last was a girl, we were going to name her Reese! Good luck!

Reese

There are enough complications in life! Why make more?!!!

It is a kind of unusual name although I do know of one little boy named Reese. I would stick with that spelling since it is the most common. Having to spell your name all your life to people gets old. I have a boy named Connor, easy right?...no on trophys, in class, on pictures it sometime comes out Conner. It does mean a disappointment for the child what ever was really meant..do him a favor and go with the most common!

I am sure whatever way you spell it will be perfect....there is all Reece.....i guess you already knew that. Reese.....is cute. I know from my experience, you want to stick with something that people recognize or they might mis pronounce it everytime. Congratulations. God Bless you and Jesus Keep you.

H.

As I'm sure you know Rhys is the Welsh male spelling (and with Gavin as the middle name my guess is you have a British background?). I don't think as many people will mispronounce it as you might believe. Several actors have Rhys, John Rhys Davies comes to mind. Whereas with Reese, I think of Reese Witherspoon. :) Just my two cents, and I vote Rhys.

I am still amazed at how many people think my daughter's name, Skye, is short for Skylar.

Congrats on your new addition!

P.S. I'm a teacher, and I wouldn't mispronounce it. But, I have misprounced many other names such as Andrea based on where the parents place the accent (AN-dreea vs. an-DREE-a) I don't think so many teachers have such a narrow world experience that he would forever be correcting them.

As a Geri (whose name is always misspelled with a J), married to a Johnnie (whose name is always misspelled with a Y), I must vote for Reese Gavin. It is an "unusual" name, which is great! He doesn't need a tricky spelling to go with it.

I like the spelling of "Reese Gavin" best only because the other spelling may cause some confusion as to how to pronounce his name....in school etc. And by the way...that is a really cool name! Love It!!!!
The best of luck and happiness with your new baby and may God Bless All of you!

For sure Reese Gavin!

Does Reese rhyme with lease, peace?? etc etc.... ( i wanted to make sure)

If so, i would offer a suggestion on why to spell it 'Reese'.

In our society, the "y" is pronounced like a long i........ for example, rhyme, sky, why, and bye. :) I'm afraid his name would be pronounced by every teacher in the world like this "rice- - if you spelled it with a Y.

How's THAT for a chatty answer?

Don't get me wrong........I love LOVE your spelling.

Just for fun----I wanted to tell you that I have a 16 year old son named Rane, (rhymes with Lane, Jane) and decided if we had another boy, I would name him Reese!! Cool huh? (but we didn't, we had a girl!!!"

Be Blessed!

I like Rhys. It sounds more like a guys name than Reese.

I like Reese, it is a unique name but still more traditional. The other spelling he would have ot spell his name his entire life. Congrats on the new baby!

C.:

I vote for Reese Gavin. If you guys are considering some labor support and coaching, I offer very reasonable doula services for a fraction of the cost of many doulas in the area. Consider labor support with all the things on your plate, you would truly benfit from a support person to cater to your birth experience. Congrats on your new blessing.

Love and blessings,
N.

As a teacher of over 30 years, I strongly recommend that you spell the name REESE. Unusual spellings are often confusing and end up being misspelled more often that not. I like the name very much, by the way, but I don't think you'd ever regret using the more common spelling

I love them name first off:) I vote on "Reese". But IMO I think Reece would be a more masculine spelling for him.

HTH~~B.

I vote Reese.
Congrats!

Reese Gavin . The second one, in my opinion would cause him to constantly have to pronounce it for people , and explain too, "it wasn't my choice.".
Hope this does not offend you, let us know which you decide on.
BF

I always thought it was Reese for girl, Reece for boy...

Reese ....absolutly Reese....When he starts school, or gets a new job, or someone calls his name from a list in front of them, they will automatically know how his name is pronounced. Rhys will be misprounced his entire life.

That's just my opinion.

A. F.

If I just say Rhys, I would not know how to correctly pronounce it. If you want to avoid teachers mispronouncing it, not to mention everyone else, go with Reece. For the recored, though, I like the Rhys spelling :), I just think your child will hate it for the trouble it will cause him.

I vote for Reese Gavin. Same reasons already given.

Reese Gavin - Best wishes to you and your family. Rhys looks like it'a an acronym for a pharmeceutical company.

I like Reese Gavin best. Love the name!!

Go with Reese. I look at Rhys and think of rice. Unusual spellings of names are cool but you have to think of the person who has the name and the problems the will encounter their whole life. He may want to change it to something else when he gets older if he has too much trouble and that would defeat the purpose of your name for him. Good luck to you and your upcoming birth. The other S.

I'm sorry, but the Rhys spelling will inflict a lifetime of his name being mispronounced and misspelled when he gives his name. Life is full of "little" problems...why deliberately add to it. I love the name Reese. It is great for a little boy as well as distinguished enough for a silver-haired executive. Good luck and have fun!!

i'm for all the Reece suggestions. Reese tends to have a more female tilt to it and If i were ready Rhys i would pronounce it "rays" or "rise". Good luck. Love the name by the way!!

Reese Gavin. Spell it like it sounds.

C. -

I'm going to ramble just a bit...

I have a son - I named him Jory Michael. As a child, he hated his name because people had a hard time saying it (sounds like Cory with a J). The mispronuciations of his name (jury, jewry) drove him crazy. As an adult, he doesn't so much mind his name - he won't, however, name his son the same thing - he's already settled on another not so traditional name for his child.

My daughter's name is Peggy Sue - not after the Buddy Holly song or the Kathleen Turner movie - it was her aunt's name & that's what her father wanted to name her (thank God she wasn't a boy with the name he wanted for him). She, too, hated her name some when she was growing up - she actually loves it now and is proud of it.

Name your child and spell that name HOWEVER you like - it will be uniquely his.

My point is that (pretty much) no matter how you spell his name, people are going to come up with something that the child won't like about their name. I know that's not what the question was - but, I just wanted to share my thoughts.

By the way - I love the name - whichever way you choose to spell it!

God Bless,
Frances

Cute name.....I like Reese Gavin.

I like Reese Gavin better.

With so many responses, you have a lot to think about! From a mom's POV, the people concerned about the pronounciation of his name make good points. But, for what it's worth, my maiden name is not pronounced the way it is spelled. I always had to correct people while growing up - it did not bother me at all. With a first name like Amy, I was happy to have something unique about my name. In college, there were so many Amys that everyone defaulted to calling me by my last name. It stuck and several people still use that as my name. I still prefer its uniqueness to my married name, but don't use it. Anyway, not sure that is really advice per se, just 2 cents.

we decided to name our daughter Reese Noelle and chose the spelling based on the spelling of the actress Reese Witherspoon. I have known a boy with the spelling Reece. Any spelling would work, but I think he'll have to deal with alot more people asking him what his name is if you spell it Rhys which might annoy him as he gets older.

Reese Gavin for sure...beleive me you want teachers coaches to be able to pronounce his name no problem...people will make fun of a weird spelled name.

As an elementary school counselor I would like to recommend Reese Gavin The other spelling lends itself to many mispronounciations and you have to consider this in school and in life. I really like the name you have chosen.

I struggled with the same thing... and we settled on Reese Walker for our second. I liked that Rhys was different but my husband is a bit more traditional and perfers spelling that makes sense (lol). I call him my little Reeses Pieces :)

The only negative thing with Reese is that I find alot of girls have that name... but I wouldn't change it!!!

Reese. Think of the poor guy going through school/life having repeatedly tell someone the proper spelling of his name. Reese hands down. I'm assuming this is after Reese Witherspoon. Good luck.

Reese. I'm a teacher, and I would not say Rhys correctly the first time. I love the name though.

Well since I am assuming you want his name to be R-ee-s and not Rice... I would go with Reese Gavin. Otherwise the child will go thru every new school year being called Rice.

I understand the wholde thing of wanting the name of your child to be unique and special... as all moms do. I did however follow this feeling with 2 of 3 of my childrens names. All the responses are correct, yes you will have to go through many spellings of the name... you might even go through a time in your childs life that they dont even like it and want to go by a shorter version (although I couldnt think of one for Rhys), teachers mispronouncing it... and some kids thinking "its weird". We even got a soccer trophy last year with her name spelled 'Jessica' instead of Jessyka, it was her first year and they fixed it immediatly, all my daughter did was laugh and think it was funny.
*Sorry, little tangent there, my opinion is to do it... there is no other names or spellings I would have chosen for my daughters... it has come to be part of who they are and I like explaining to them about how I came up with the spellings and the names, gives us great time together. So, my vote goes for RHYS

I vote for Reese. There is no mistake how to say it. The other way will be questioned and mangled every time somebody new tries it. What a beating for a child to go through school with that funky spelled name.

You've probably had a lot more responses than you even care to receive, but I'll throw in mine as well ;-)

While I really dislike the American trend of spelling things as they are pronounced in stead of spelling them correctly, I have to agree that when it comes to the spelling of names, simple and easy to understand is better.

Unfortunately the most well know Reese (for me at least) is a female, and your boy might be teased about being named after an actress. But, then again, children will find a way to tease no matter what name you choose!

I'd go with the easier to pronounce spelling - Reese - as it could be embarrassing later when someone (teacher, kids at school?)can't figure out how to say your child's name.

Reese. (I actually like Reece the best- but that was not listed. )

Rhys (makes me immediately think of Rye bread--so I tryto say it that was-which is incorrect of what I believe you are aiming for)

Good luck!

I don't care for either, but agree that Reece is best for a man, otherwise it'll look way too much like Reese Witherspoon. And it's likely that Rhys will be mis-pronounced all his life.

I have to confess that I was a bad friend 16 years ago and complained like crazy when my best friend was naming her son Reese (just something about her voice saying it sounded more like a high-pitch whitsle)... so she made it his middle name instead. She remained my friend, and I should not have complained.

My vote is for Rhys! What a cool name!

Who cares what other people think about the spelling. People mispronouce names all the time, it's not a big deal. Rhys is easy to remember how to spell and after the 1st correction, they'll remember how to say it correctly.

NO to Reese........sounds feminine. Rhys sounds very strong and masculine. I LOVE the name!

L.

L.

I personally like Reese Gavin. No particular reason, except I think he might get called rice or ris with Rhys? Congratulations!
G.

Rhys seems more the masculine form in my opinion.

Reese, rhymes with peace or Rhys, rhymes with eyes - or maybe Chris?

As a teacher, I always appreciate names that look the way they sound - and feel bad for kids who have to correct every grownup calling roll.

Gavin Rhys would be cool, though IMO - just as individual, none of the daily having to correct people.

S.

Definitely Reese! The other spelling will leave people questioning how to pronounce his name and he'll spend his entire life having to pronounce and spell it for everybody.

"As a teacher I hate when people make up stupid spellings" Seriously did she post that?! Rhys is the traditional spelling, the original spelling. Perhaps instead of early education classes that particular mother and teacher should have taken a course or two on sociology or anthropology. The world is vast, open up to it. My husband and I previously considered the name Gavin Rhys for our third son. We opted for a different name but I think the masculine spelling of Rhys is proper and striking.

Phonetically "Rhys" would be pronounced Rise or Rice, the Y does not make the double E sound. I believe Reese is the female spelling. Love the name for a boy though.

Rhys is very cute and unique, but consider the fact that no one will ever spell is right.
Reese is a beautiful name and I think this spelling while more common, will pose less problems. Do you know how many times a day I have to spell my name?

Hi C.,
I like Rhys for a boy. Best of luck and God Bless.

M.

Definitely Reese. The other will be difficult and others, including his teachers, will initially want to pronounce it like "rise" or "rice." It will give him too much grief in the future. Don't do that to him! Let it be "Reese."
Leanne

Reese will save him a lot of trouble over his lifetime.

I've never seen Rhys and would have no idea how to say it.

Being a sub teacher......one thing I hate most is not knowing how to pronounce a child's name. That name is very important to the child so please spell it so that the majority of people will know how to pronounce it. If not, he will be correcting people all of his life.

Our last name is spelled kind of funny for how it actually sounds and whenever we are asked for our last name, I automatically spell it. It is a pain in the rear.

I like Reese Gavin, but I love Rhys. I have a daughter named Tiffani and I love having it spelled differently. No one can remember to spell it right, but I think it is beautiful and I think using a uniques spelling sets them apart. Who wants to have child with a name like everyone else. Congratulations. I hope whatever spelling you choose you have a healthy and happy baby.

omg do your SON a favor and spell it REESE. Save her the embarrassment of teachers and friends not knowing how to pronounce RHYS.

Hi there,

My vote is definitely for Rhys. It is the more masculine of the two spellings. I know three little girls named Reese - all who spell their name with two Es. I've never seen a little girl with the Rhys spelling. Also, I have lived in the UK and Rhys is also the way that the name is spelled for boys - so it works across the pond as well. Hope that helps!

Good luck!

C.,
I think you will enjoy the name Reese, and the baby will be more comfortable as he grows.
I have two boys and I know that most boys don't like to have to explain the spelling of their name.

about me: I have a Phd. in Psychology and am a practicing clinical psychologist. I in my professional opinion feel that you should choose the less complicated name for your child, due to all the other pressure he might face in life to come. Good luck. By the way,
my birthday is April 30th., maybe he will be born close to that time.

Best of all to you and your family.

Beautiful name - My "vote" Reese as I think it would be easier for someone to recognise & call your child without making an error. Good luck and enjoy your new gift.

I would definitely not spell it "Rhys". I agree that Reece is more masculine than Reese, but either is better than "rice". Love the name for boy or girl.

Hands Down: REESE!!!! (Good luck to whatever you decide!)

I prefer Reese. If it is Rhys he will have to pronounce it for people his whole life.

I think if you go with "Reece", everybody will know how to pronounce it all the time.

However, if you go with "Rhys" (Although I love the uniquness about it), I think some people will pronounce it "Rice".

I LOVE the traditional Rhys spelling. Kids tend to tease about names that sound different not about names that are spelled different. Teachers learn. He'll get used to correcting and as he gets older he'll appreciate the more masculine spelling. It's powerful. I've corrected people all my life and not only got used to it early, I now LOVE having what I think is the more beautiful spelling of my name.
R.

I like Reese Gavin, I wouldnt know how to pronounce Rhys wihout direction :o)

If you are worried about masculinity my dh brothers name is Reece.

WOW! You have had a lot of responses to your request! I actually thought I shouldn't respond because it would give you yet another one to read. But I need to put in my opinion. I think the spelling "Reese" is associated more with females...I have a friend who named her daughter Reese. I dated a guy in high school with the spelling "Reece" but I prefer the Irish spelling..."Rhys" for a boy. I hope you are able to come to a decision that you are both comfortable with. Congrats and good luck!

Reese without any doubt - especially for a boy! That's my vote anyway! God bless you and your family!

They are both great. Hard to choose so I see why you are doing this poll. Of course, Reese would be so much easier as you have read a million times below. I go with Rhys.

In all honesty when I first read Rhys I pronounced it Riieees. Only knew the intended because of the first one. The name itself means ardent or firery (msp) you can also spell it reece. However you spell it sounds great together. Congrats on new baby and good luck.

I like Reese Gavin the best !!!

Rhys is the traditional male spelling of the name and I prefer that spelling. I would stick with Rhys otherwise he could be mistaken as a girl on paper.

Reese. Don't make things harder for your kids.

Go with Reese. Save him the trouble of correcting people his entire life. I have a different spelling on my name and NO ONE who reads it, gets it right. (And no, it's not supposed to be Hannah, it's supposed to be Hanan.)

Rhys Gavin is adorable & very unique. When I found out what I was having I wanted a unique name too. I decided to name him Brycen. A normal name is good but a unique one is even better.

Reese reminds me of Reese witherspoon. but Rhys reminds me of hot sexy Johnathan Rhys Meyers. So.. :D I say Rhys.

My daughters middle name is Rees (yes, no 'e'). I wanted a different spelling and originally wanted Rhys!! I love that spelling and the name. My husband gave in adn let me leave the 'e' off but wouldn't go for Rhys, I think it's more the spelling for a boys name.

Good luck!! and you've chose a great name!!

My vote would have been for Rhys. It was actually one of the names I wanted for my son but could not get my hubbie on board. So kudos to you on picking such an awesome name!

Well, in the interest of him not having to spell his name over and over, I vote for Reese.

Great name, no matter how you spell it!
I personally like Reece or Reese. And Reese Whitherspoon is the first female Reese I'd every heard of- I only knew Reese as a boy's name (and thought it was very cool) before she became famous! Whoe cares anyway- I have a girl named Sam!
Congrats! Suzi

Reese Gavin because Ryse sounds like it should be pronounced rice. And I think People would likely misspell it a lot when you tell them his name. That is if you want it pronounced Reese and not Rice. Just my opinion. Congrats on the new addition.

Reese! Don't traumatize the kid by having to explain to EVERYONE how his name is pronounced!

i vote for Reese Gavin. It is a nice name. Everyone will get the spelling wrong and not to be able to pronounce Rhys the way you intend.

Reese Gavin looks better. If you spell it Rhys I am sure people are going to make up their own pronunciation if they don't know him.

I think Reese would be easier to read and to spell. Beautiful name! :)

I think Rhys is more masculine and unique (in a good way). He will have trouble with the spelling and pronounciation, but there is no such thing as a perfect name. Granted, there are names that are a lot easier to spell and pronounce, but, people will find a way to mess up your name nearly all the time. My first name is E., pronounced with a long "e" (like ee-va). I'm called Ava all the time and it's just part of life. My last name is mis-pronounced all the time, too. My daughter, who has a more "normal" name has her name mispronounced all the time, while my son, with a less common name never gets his name pronounced the wrong way. Nearly every member of my family spells it differently though! I say, go with your gut and use other things like the meaning of the name and it's significance to you decide which to choose, not how people are going to misuse it. Is Rheese one of the variant spellings?

I like Reese Gavin better. Good luck to you and your new bundle.

A. H.

Reese Gavin definately!

how about Reed or Reid Gavin?

Hi C.!

I vote for Reese.

T.

I prefer Reese;-) Rhys makes me want to prounounce it Rise

I am all about being "different" for sure....but I don't personally care for Rhys. What about Rhyse? Good luck and congratulations! :)

Please use the traditional spelling. I can tell you that the non-traditional spellings will cause your son trouble growing up. People will continually mispronounce and misspell the name. I am 47 and am still correcting the way people say my name. (It's pronounced "Gina" and I am continually called "Jenna".) The preacher who married my husband and me even mispronounced it and he knew us! He was reading off his notes, and read the name.

I personally like Reese. That is simple to pronounce if you read it. Rhys could easily be mistaken to be pronounced in different ways. Just my 2 cents:)

My vote is Reese Gavin.

I would go with the most common spelling of Reece. Last year I was going through the same thing (whether to spell my daughter's name Mallory or Mallorie) and got some goood advice from a Mamasource mom. She said that while the non-traditional spellings are unique and sometimes cute you really have to think about how your child's name will be perceived in the business world when they are an adult. And to me Reece seems much stronger and more professional. Good luck whatever your decision and Congrats.

I like Reese better. When I looked at Rhys.. I wouldn't have known how to pronounce it if I didn't already know it was Reese. I have a friend who has a son with a unique spelled name, and he is 5 and is already getting frustrated that his teachers and friends spell his name wrong sometimes. I do think the spelling is very original though... and would be great as a middle name.

Good luck!