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i like how it's a well known name that's never been too common, and doesn't have the sound or impression of most similarly known, very modern-classic guys names (ie doesn't sound like a rude jock lol). the meaning is also cute- it's generally a cute name! maybe partially bc of the chocolate

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it doesn't come off as bland to me, in fact i'd actually expect most people to dismiss it for not being masculine enough. and i've never met a Reese irl.

This message was edited 6/26/2018, 1:19 AM

I'm feeling mostly indifferent too.
The spelling Reese for a guy's first name looks a little bit oversimple to me, like Emmalee for Emily. As though Rhys was too difficult. Reese is a surname to me, more than it's an alt spelling of Rhys. I grew up friends with a girl whose surname was Reiss pronounced as Reese so the surname association is strong.

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Reese is also the spelling that most reliably indicates a girl, to me. So (maybe partly due to Witherspoon and candy) it has a sort of bubblegum vibe, not quite childish. Probably the opposite of what's intended when a girl is named Reese.

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It seems like any surnamey girl name - like it's supposed to sound preppy, smart, sporty, and it was always assumed she would always be very bright and active and cute. Reese, Piper, Harper, Murphy, Taylor, Hadley, Spencer etc - to me they would only seem as smart and put-together as they seem to strive at sounding, on a woman who actually was being very smart and put-together. If the bearer is typical and average like most people are, not at her sparkling best every moment, these names don't seem so flattering, to me. I feel like they're slightly put-on or fake, like a wig, or badly tattooed eyebrows - inoffensive, sometimes seeming very stylish, but often a little bit pathetic ... just not good enough to be a personal first name. I feel similarly about many surname-names for guys too, not exactly the same but similar.

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Fine, sure, it's my own problem. I wish I didn't feel this way about them, but ... I still do. More so about some than others ... I can adjust much faster to, say, Cassidy or McKenna or Sydney or Regan as first names for women, Mason and Lincoln and Wyatt and Hunter for men - because to me they just "sound more like first names."

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This message was edited 6/25/2018, 10:26 AM

It reminds me of peanut butter cups & Witherspoon too, as I've never seen it on anyone else, not even as a surname. I guess I'd expect an American female?
Rhys definitely fits 'safe bland name' more here, and is completely male.

Ha! I know exactly what you mean. It feels like such a compromise name, where neither parent will go along with what the other parent loves and the baby’s coming any day now and they just say “Okay what’s about Reese? Reese is nice!” And there you go.

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So you’re right. It’s fine. The meaning is pretty notable though, so at least there’s that.

I know many men named Rhys. Here in the auK it's like the friendly guy next door name. Nothing special, just there.

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I would be very shocked to run into a female Reese under the age of 20 here.

I hate Reese. It and Kyle are the two most obnoxious boy names. By that, I mean they bring to mind an obnoxious, bratty boy.

I never liked it before but a few months ago added Rhys to my list. I do love it now, as I'm trying to find more non-2 syllables names. The spelling Reese doesn't bother me much.

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Certainly a boy's name. I kind of the peanut butter cup connection, my favorite candy.

It's a boys name to me, and it feels pretty 'meh'. But for some reason I love it when spelled Rhys.